When I'm Gone
by jen0va99
Summary: Sephiroth and Cloud search for each other during the events in KH. Uses ingame dialogue. P.17 ...and it comes out. [Yaoi, Language, Violence...Fluff SephxCloudcentric, CloudLeon, some RikuSora, others]
1. Info

**AUTHOR: **Jen (jen0va99) email: _jen0va99 (at) hotmail (dot) com_

**DISCLAIMER: **Own Kingdom Hearts I do not. Belongs to Square-Enix it does, Final Fantasy characters as well they own. Characters by Disney belong to Disney, they do. Yay. "When I'm Gone" is owned entirely by 3 Doors Down and their respective company. And for good measure I'll add these, too: ©®™ Though trademark doesn't really… fit… And the other songs also belong to their respective bands/companies and stuff. Obviously.

I own nothing but the words in the story. Uhm, except the game dialogue. I wish that was mine. XD

**RATING/WARNINGS: **R (…at parts it gets up to… ahem); Yaoi and shounen-ai; Language; Angst; Violence; Fluff; Sexual situations (chapters with them have warnings); Blood and gore, non-con & dark imagery/themes at parts; …perversion?; Spoilers for both FFVII and KH, even though I don't know if they'd really be considered spoilers anymore…

**PAIRINGS: **Sephiroth x Cloud-centric; Cloud/Leon (…ish?); Sephiroth/Riku shounen-ai; Talk of Riku x Sora… others.

**SUMMARY: **Sephiroth and Cloud search for eachother during the events of Kingdom Hearts. Finding your Light can be a long, arduous pain in the ass! Let's hope the result is worth it. In-game situations, worlds and dialogue incorporated.

**COMMENTS:** I started this with the intentions of having it be a long-ish songfic to "When I'm Gone" by 3 Doors Down. Nice song, pretty angsty on its own, no? The lyrics go rather well with Kingdom Hearts, or so I think, and set a pretty decent mood for a KH-Seph/Cloud fic. How there aren't _MORE_ KH-SxC fics is beyond me… given the material in both games, there is alot to work with to make a pretty damn good fanfic, I think… oh well. Anyway, I have long since run out of lyrics for the song (since the story is now over 300 pages long… x.x), so… crap.

Now… if you've played Final Fantasy VII, you should know who Zack (or Zax… I go by canon spelling but whatever) is. If you haven't played the game… DO IT. Because Zack is in this… kinda. And I don't want you to have no clue who the hell he is. Besides, Zack's awesome.

**Cloud's** thoughts go: _I AM ANGSTY._ (they're SUPPOSED to be in brackets in later chapters but I guess this site took _that_ privilege away too, right? -.-)  
**Sephiroth's** thoughts go: _/I AM GOD./  
_**Zack's** speech goes: _/--I AM HORNY.--/_  
Other people don't get inner dialogue. Aw.

Go read now.


	2. Part One

****

Part One

__

There's another world inside of me  
that you may never see.  
There's secrets in this life  
that I can't hide.  
------------------

Glowing aqua eyes opened when a foreign snapping noise roused him from his slumber. Instead of the expected green tint of the Lifestream, Sephiroth found himself staring up at pitch blackness, the air all around him acrid, and smelled of smoke and ash, hate and heat.

Eyes blinked experimentally and darted off to one side, only to be greeted with a towering stone wall, shiny and black with thin threads of red seemingly woven within it. Something thick and bubbling and bright red flowed beneath it, a moat filled with molten lava, fiery red embers flickering upwards. Screeching echoed from the distance, creating an even more ominous atmosphere.

He tried to stand but was paralyzed, he figured from his time spent in the depths of the Lifestream. _/Mako poisoning…?/_ The silver-haired man grimaced as a shot of pain made its way up his back and down again, coursing through his system like liquid electricity.

/If I have Mako poisoning… that means… I'm **alive**?/ He willed his fingers to move, hoping the rest of his arm would follow suit. His found his head could only move just slightly._ /Where **am** I…?/_

A loud creak from rusted hinges broke Sephiroth from his reverie, his mind and body both jolting up at the sudden noise. He cringed in agony as every muscle in his body locked up, preventing movement. He opened his eyes after the pain subsided, looking up to a long-faced man smiling down on him. If he could, Sephiroth would've quirked an eyebrow. The blue intruder was a peculiar sight, with long, conic teeth sharp enough to be considered fangs.

"Well, well, hello there!" the blue one said in a nasally voice, azure flames atop his head flickering with his every movement. "Welcome to the 'Underworld', also known as 'Hell'." Black-clawed fingers steepled in front of his sickly blue face. "I've been expecting you."

The ex-General narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?"

The blue man rolled his beady yellow eyes and scoffed. "Take a wild guess," he replied, dryly.

This time an eyebrow managed to shoot upward, arching delicately. "A highly disturbing blue… _thing_," Sephiroth shot back.

"Eh, kids nowadays, I tell ya…" he muttered, shaking his head.

Sephiroth tried to move himself again, but found himself still paralyzed.

"Aaaaanyway, I'm Hades, God of the Underworld, blah, blah, blah. Enough with the formalities, let's get down to business, hmm?"

"Why am I in this place…? I was in the Lifestream, last I remember." He saw the faintly amused expression on Hades' face and grumbled, "I assume I'm still dead?"

"Oh, yeah, of course you are, kid, who do you think I am, _Zeus_? But I can give you a sweet deal, get you up top. You can stay a while, chat, visit, get laid, whatever guys like you do, I dunno." The blue god sucked his teeth, picking in between them with a sharp talon.

Sephiroth cleared his throat. "May I get up before you 'talk shop'? I'm a bit immobile at the moment."

"You're quite naked at the moment, too. Not that I mind, not like you got anything I don't have, am I right?"

The silver-haired swordsman grimaced. "I'm not interested in your anatomy." He sighed and closed his eyes, raising his brow. "May I get up?"

"Yeah, sure." With a flick of his wrist, Hades restored feeling to Sephiroth's body, allowing him to move. Another twist and Sephiroth was clothed in an outfit similar to the one he left behind. The man was always fond of leather, for some reason, as well as buckles, and belts, and the new apparel 'Hades' had dressed him in did not disappoint.

Shoulder armor, boots, gloves, everything in tact, with a new kick. Instead of a buckle bearing the SOLDIER insignia, he had one with angel wings. His trenchcoat was a bit shorter, but looked quite intimidating with red trim, flaring outward and moving easier due to lack of extra material. The pants were tighter than he was used to, but Sephiroth was proud of his body, years of training went into the perfect physique, so it didn't truly faze him.

Sephiroth raised an arm and inspected his new gloves, the same fine leather he was accustomed. The armlets around his wrists had what resembled dragon's wings attached to them, also of black and red, and only served to add to the overall appeal of the outfit.

Satisfied with the clothing, Sephiroth nodded when the god looked his way.

"Alright then, boy, help a brother out, huh?" Hades stretched his arms out, seeming to beckon Sephiroth into an embrace.

That was not going to fly.

"Eh? Eh? Aw, you're no fun, Seph."

"I'm not here for fun, though, am I?" Hades' expression faltered, sensing the mocking tone, as Sephiroth smirked. "Of course. And I'm assuming, since," he gestured with his hands, voice dripping with sarcasm, "you've so graciously clothed me, you want me to fulfill whatever inane quest you send me on, correct?"

Hades snorted. "Nail on the head, kid, nail on the head."

The ex-General crossed his arms, standing in a position he hadn't taken on since he commanded troops for ShinRa. An intimidating pose, usually, unless one is standing in front of the god of the Underworld…

"New clothing aside, why should I do this task for you?" Sephiroth gestured with one hand. "Payment, in other words."

"New threads aren't enough? Geez, you people. Alright. Like I said before, I can send you back… for a while."

"'A while', meaning…"

"Pushy, pushy. I don't know, however long it takes." Hades rolled his eyes, his sandaled foot tapping. He glanced at Sephiroth, who gestured again with his hand, urging the god on. "Hmph. Anyway, there's this kid named—" he stopped short, regarding the silver-haired man.

"…well, the name's not important. The kid showed a lot of talent, and I needed workers. Yada yada yada, he signed the contract, did a couple tasks right, but now, he's…" he tilted his head, tucking a fist under his chin, and thought for a moment.

"Well, can't say he'd do the current job right."

"What, you're telling me you require me to assist one of your mindless drones?" Sephiroth scoffed, loudly.

"Gods, just _listen._ Boy's got his head in the _clouds_, ya know? No use to me if he's _distracted_, that's for sure, kid's got all sorts of _problems_, _you_ just gotta look after him—"

Hades was cut off short when Sephiroth advanced, his aqua eyes blazing with Mako glow.

"You're saying you need me to _baby-sit_? What do you _take _me for?!"

Hades smirked and raised his eyebrows. "Isn't that what you did when you were younger, _General _Sephiroth? Hmm? Look after a bunch of no-talent children? _Seduce _a few? Hmm? I'm sure that's something you'd _love_ to do again, isn't it?" The blue flames jumped slightly on his head, flickering from blue to red. Even as Sephiroth glared menacingly, Hades stood there, seemingly amused.

The silver-haired man scowled at the God of the Underworld, his eyes boring into Hades' yellow ones. "How _dare _you drag my personal affairs into this…," he growled viciously. "Do you think angering me would get me to help you? What, are you planning _blackmail_?" He spread his arms then dropped them to his sides. "You should know better than anyone that I am, quite obviously, _deceased_, rendering your plan useless."

Sephiroth's feline eyes narrowed to dangerous slits, "so what _is_ it?"

When the blue man stayed silent, the smirk still on his face, Sephiroth reached to his side to draw the Masamune, ready to strike at the god's insulting behavior. To both his surprise and dismay, the sword was nowhere to be seen.

"Lookin' for somethin, kid?"

A feral growl rose up into Sephiroth's throat as he lunged forward. He fisted his hand in Hades' cloak and slammed him backwards into a nearby slab of heated rock. The god raised both of his hands in front of him and grinned wolfishly.

"Hey, hey, whoa, settle down."

"What do you _really _want from me?" he hissed. "I _know_ you didn't call me here for a simple task. _Who_ am I supposed to 'watch'?"

"Temper, temper. Look, I already told ya, the boy won't be able to live up to his contract if he's got his mind on other things. All you gotta do is un-distract him, badda-bing badda-boom, simple, right? The kid himself isn't important, but getting his mind off—"

"Why did you choose _me_? Why should I _care_?" Sephiroth spat, cutting the god off mid-sentence.

Hades gave the ex-General a wink. "Ah, you gotta sign a contract first. Don't want you taking the kid, ya know."

"No contract." He took a step back, taking Hades with him. "Tell me his name."

"Curiosity killed the cat, you know."

Sephiroth shoved the god backwards forcefully, an enraged sneer flaring up onto his face. Hades flashed red again, stumbling. When he righted himself he tilted his head, letting out a few audible cracks.

"Tsk, tsk. So forceful."

"Why won't you _TELL _me, you son of a bitch?!" he shouted. Catching his mistake of emotion, Sephiroth clenched his fists, attempting to keep his anger from flashing again - despite his body's reflexes to do just the opposite. His eyes never strayed from the blue one's gaze.

Hades sucked in a breath through his pointed teeth and clicked his tongue. A dramatic contemplative look appeared on his face as he placed a clawed finger on his chin. The deliberately slow response was visibly getting on Sephiroth's last nerve; he would snap any second if the blue man didn't speak soon, and Hades knew it.

With a jaw clenched so tight it hurt, Sephiroth hissed out, "what do you have to prove by prolonging this?"

"Aw, pretty-boy don't like it?"

Cat-like speed enabled Sephiroth to land a solid punch directly on Hades' jaw, causing the God of the Underworld's head to jolt to the side, now-crimson eyes wide with shock. The silver-haired ex-General didn't bat an eyelash as Hades burned bright red, fire shooting angrily from his palms.

And as sudden as it came, the god changed back to normal, pulling on a sickening grin. "You don't wanna play? Fine. We won't play. But if you wanna see your little blonde boyfriend again, well…" Hades trailed off, his eyes drifting upward innocently. He shook his head and twirled a finger around.

"Nah, it doesn't matter." The god turned to walk away, smirking. "Have a grand eternity alone, pretty-boy."

Sephiroth was frozen to the spot. _/Little blonde…? Cloud?/_ Hades was leisurely walking away, whistling, hands clasped behind him. _/No, Cloud's not here…/_ Aqua eyes scanned the area, searching.

"He's in Olympus… _alive_…" Hades called back. "Not that you'd _care_…"

__

/Olympus…?/

"Oh, taking care of a little problem for me. No biggie." Hades shrugged. "Unless, of course… he fails…"

Sephiroth took a step forward, heels clicking on the hard rock floor. He had begun to sweat, Hades' revelation making him suddenly aware of the intense heat around him, unlike the cool green of the Lifestream.

"What will become of Strife if he fails?" he blurted out, unaware he had reached a hand forward to stop Hades.

Hades stopped, the broad expanse of his back facing the tall leather-clad man. "Let's just say he'll have a date with a ravenous three-headed beast, and I'm not talking about Zeus' mother." A smirk passed his lips as he sensed Sephiroth's deliberation. Hades shrugged nonchalantly, making lazy circles with his hand. "Just a consequence of distraction."

"You keep mentioning a 'distraction'." Sephiroth absently licked his bottom lip, furrowing his silver brows. "By that, you mean…?"

The blue god turned around, wrinkling his nose. "Eh, like I said, Cloudy-boy's not all there. Wants to find someone. Some sentimental bullshit, something or other…"

__

/The girl I… that Cetra…?/

"I… see… and how would _I_ lessen this so-called 'distraction'? Strife loathes me. Well… _now_…" Sephiroth smirked. "I'd think that I'd be the last person to keep his 'head in the game', so to speak." A look of indifference crept onto his face.

"He's killed me twice. Or don't you have _that _on record? Tawdry sex tales the only things that interest you? No dirt on Strife to exploit?"

Hades narrowed his eyes. "Taunting won't benefit your cause, pretty-boy."

"And withholding information detriments yours." As an afterthought, Sephiroth added, "up to this point, there _is_ no cause for me that I'm aware of."

A beady eye flared red angrily but Sephiroth's face remained unfazed. He was best known for his cold personality and composed exterior, completely in control of his emotions when the need arose, the perfect General. Now was one of those times; now that he was aware Cloud's life was on the line, this 'distraction'…

Sephiroth crossed his arms and simply waited for Hades to speak again.

"So, will you do it?"

"I'm not sure what exactly you want me to _do_."

"Just…" Hades sighed heavily. "Fine. Go away, I don't want you here anymore." He turned away, muttering about 'stupid crazy silver-haired boy-hungry pretty-boys' but stopped, a hand on his hip. "Oh yeah. You go back, you're in the tournament. You got me?"

Sephiroth raised an eyebrow. "Tournament?"

"Geez, you pretty-boys know _anything_?! Look. Olympus Coliseum. Tournament. Ya got me?"

"Right…" He paused momentarily, a skeptical look on his face. "And you're allowing me to return without signing one of your precious contracts?"

Hades narrowed his eyes and shrugged. "They're worthless anyway. I just like to use 'em so I can give you mortals grief." He turned to leave.

"I suppose I should thank you…?"

Before making his exit, the blue one squinted and tugged at his cloak. An itch broke out on Sephiroth's back, right above his left shoulder blade. A gloved hand reached behind him, scratching at a lump that had formed there. A ghost of a snicker was heard, followed by the sound of the retreating god.

"Okay, now go, get out of here."

The ex-General spun on his heel before realizing three important factors: One, his sword was missing. Two, he didn't know _how_ to leave; and three, he didn't know where to go once out.

There was no time to turn around as Hades idly flicked his hand, the familiar weight of Sephiroth's beloved Masamune materializing at his side. A long time passed since the man was able to hold the weapon, and, albeit the feeling was silly, he was comfortable just knowing it was with him.

Sephiroth twitched and reached behind him again, clawing at the growth. The skin was tender to his touch and felt thin, ready to tear. The normally stoic man's face held a pained expression. His back felt like it was on fire, as if he was recently assaulted with powerful flare spells.

The man tore off his jacket and threw it to the ground; it had become too tight, the flesh on his back had protruded far too much for it to remain comfortable. Without warning, his spine wrenched to the side, something from within the protrusion tearing through his skin. Sephiroth let out an agonized cry and fell to his knees, bracing himself with his palms.

Pain subsided momentarily, allowing the man to breathe. An alien feeling crept up his back as he looked behind him. He caught sight of a bluish-black fin poking out, skin torn around it, oozing blood. Sephiroth bit his lip and screamed again as the fin grew larger, tearing his flesh further as a fine spray of crimson spurted forth. He could feel something sliding underneath his skin, squelching sickeningly. Sweat poured down the man's brow during the torment, sliding down his face and stinging his eyes.

Minutes passed as Sephiroth crouched on the floor, covered in his own sweat and gore. He could feel a foreign weight hanging from his back, twitching occasionally. He sensed his open wounds repairing themselves, skin cells threading and weaving themselves together rapidly, regenerating flesh thanks to his Mako-enhanced system. The odd twitching never ceased during his stay on the black stone floor of Hell. Mustering his courage, he peered behind him again, shocked at what he saw.

__

/A wing…?/

The 'fin' he saw before had grown, proving itself to be a menacingly beautiful wing with bluish-black feathers. Sephiroth laughed at the sight, tentatively willing the new appendage to flap, droplets of blood sliding from the large feathers and spattering around him.

Sephiroth tilted his head and smiled lightly. The junction at the first section of wing was topped with a rather sharp-looking spade. Sephiroth turned the wing downwards and removed a glove, stroking the fine feathers. It was quite a gorgeous sight, the man with the flowing silver-hair resembled a fallen angel who had suffered years of torment.

Only he knew how true it was.

Carefully standing, he retrieved his coat and frowned. _/This, I know, will not fit over the wing./_ With a sigh, he turned the garment around to slash an opening for the appendage. To his surprise, he saw a carefully hidden zipper running down the back of the jacket's left side.

"That rotten bastard," Sephiroth murmured to himself as he pulled on his trenchcoat. In less than an hour, his image had been completely revamped, thanks to that annoying god of the Underworld.

…and, it seemed, Sephiroth was plagued to be the one-winged angel once again.

Glancing around for an exit, Sephiroth took a cautious step forward before his form was suddenly engulfed in a rapidly fluctuating, black and purple void.

__

------------------

Cloud awoke with the taste of dust and dirt in his mouth. His eyes were dry and stung as the occasional gust of wind picked up, blowing sand in the bright blue orbs, causing him to lift his arm, futilely attempting to keep the sand out.

The better part of his days were spent in the inner confines of the Olympus Coliseum, training with his revamped Buster Sword. He never knew why he chose to take that particular sword with him instead of the Ultima Weapon… the latter was infinitely more powerful than the former… but, then again, there was sentimental value to the Buster. It reminded him of Zack, his near-constant companion in his SOLDIER training days, and the link to his only love…

…Sephiroth…

That man was another reason why the Buster Sword meant so much to him. The Ultima Weapon held too many agonizing memories, the gift from the fall of a WEAPON, the Planet's defense from _her_…

Cloud shuddered, pushing the thought aside, only to be assaulted by another.

The glowing blue blade slashing relentlessly at _his_ body, _his_ face, cutting his angel down, running him through. Blood poured freely, gushing forth in torrents, as Cloud delivered the finishing blow. In the end, his eyes were sane, filled with pain and remorse and love, silently thanking the blonde for releasing him from his mind's prison.

Cloud shook his head and shifted, scanning his location. Still in the inner court of the Coliseum, huddled in a far corner, a thick pile of blankets underneath him, courtesy of Phil. The satyr wasn't such a bad… thing… once he's granted a person respect and reluctant admiration.

Cloud sighed and ran his claw through his hair. After all that time he still couldn't recall why his clothing resembled Vincent's so closely, the cape and the claw. Not only that, but Zack's old SOLDIER uniform - which he still wore stubbornly, not to forget his old friend - was still in tact. So why was the mantle in such terrible condition? It was torn and shredded, and dirty.

Groaning, Cloud stood. Another day of training, another day of thinking, another day of fighting. He had specific orders at the Coliseum to fulfill, thanks to Hades.

[Kill a demigod. Yeah, that'll be fucking cake.]

Hades had promised to help him find his light. His Sephiroth. Months of blindly following orders, disposing of those who interfered with Hades enraged the blonde man. Nearly a year after battling and _killing_ his love, Heartless had attacked the Planet…

Cloud was still unsure of the fates of his former comrades. He had become distant after the final battle, and finally broke away completely from them when he just couldn't stand the constant ruckus surrounding the 'Planet's Heroes'…

Adding to his confusion as to why he was dressed like the ebony-haired vampire from his former party. They had been friends, of course, but not exactly close in any sense of the word. Cloud had thoughts about why, of course, but none of them made much sense… Perhaps it had something to do with Vincent's link to Sephiroth; there was always the possibility that the gunman was Sephiroth's father…

The blonde sighed and pushed these thoughts away. He still had to train for the upcoming tournament.

Hauling the large sword onto his shoulder, Cloud stepped into the middle of the outer court and stretched his weary limbs. Although he was used to training so diligently, his muscles still protested in vain.

The blonde seemed to care little about anything other than training or completing his tasks, barely taking the time out of his days to care for himself properly. He was aware of the fact that he barely ate, but his body never reacted, really. He rarely felt hungry anymore, and drank little. Suspicious as it was, he was sure Hades had something to do with it, somehow. The god had already made Cloud into something he never wanted to be again.

For the second time in his life, he was just a puppet. Except this time he had an accessory.

That damned wing.

Cloud adjusted the mantle over his right shoulder, making sure the black batwing was out of sight. He hated it, an ugly reminder of who he was owned by. The wing was appalling to him, leathery and black, and covered with a thin layer of short dark hair. He supposed he wouldn't have minded it so much if it looked different. Maybe an angel's wing…

__

[There I go thinking about you again…] Cloud was a devil now… and owned by an idiot. _[What would you think of me now, Sephiroth? Pathetic. Instead of looking on my own, I had to go to that son of a bitch and look what it cost me. Would you even love me now, Sephiroth? No, of course not. I'm too weak.]_

The blonde readied his sword and took an offensive position, poised to strike at the opponents his mind was formulating in front of him.

[Did you even love me at all? Or I was always too weak for you?]

The man imagined enemies surrounding him. He lashed out, swinging the Buster in a wide arc to the right and brought it upwards as he jumped then swinging it downwards, effectively cleaving the enemy in two within his mind's eye.

Reflexes quick as a cat's allowed him to turn around and pull his arms back seconds before lunging forward, impaling another assailant. He practically glided when he moved, feet barely touching the ground like a man possessed.

Another wide arc and a spin came, cutting down enemies. Strafe right, dodge attack, thrust, jump back, lunge forward, strike, evade to the left, block, lunge, repeat.

Cloud's motivation was Sephiroth, as it always had been. Hades was the only one who had offered to help him find his Light… if it still existed. And what had it cost him?

Oh… just his soul.

Hooves clacked on the hard stone steps of the Coliseum gates hours later, followed by a voice, breaking Cloud out of his trance.

"Hey, kid!"

A spiky blonde head perked up to look at Philoctetes, Phil for short. The tiny, pudgy, balding red satyr always went to check on the diminutive blonde soldier around that time of day. Cloud looked to the sky, guessing it was some time after noon.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Cloud readjusted the red cape draped around his shoulders. "Yeah?"

Phil put his plump little hands on his hips and tilted his head. "You gonna train all day or what?"

The blonde shrugged, lowering the Buster Sword, resting its tip on the hot courtyard floor. "What _else_ do I have to do?"

The tiny satyr walked down the stairs to a green chalkboard set off to the side and started writing. "I dunno. You're my best fighter, kid, besides Herc, of course, but still. I don't want you to run yerself ragged before the games."

"I'm _fine_, Phil." He lifted his sword again and readied it, slashing half-heartedly. "You don't need to worry about me."

Still writing, the goatling responded gruffly. "So you still wanna train, that's fine. But you really don't got any competition. Two words, kid: Take a bath. You smell worse than I do."

Cloud rolled his head on his shoulders, working out the kinks that found their way to his neck. "Why bother, it's not like I have anyone to impress," he muttered.

Finished with writing updates on the chalkboard, Phil rubbed his hands on his furry thighs and started back up the steps. "Do what you want, kid, but if you die, don't complain to me about it."

And with that, the little satyr went back inside the Coliseum.

Cloud sighed and swung his sword around his head. "Like Hades would let his fucking _puppet_ die…"

He slashed, wishing there was an actual opponent in front of him. "That's all I am." A sharp swing to the left. "I'm a _nothing._" He spun his sword and jumped up high, turning his it downward as he landed, driving the blade deep into the packed sand of the courtyard's floor. He landed on one knee and hung his head low, right hand still on the hilt. Sweat dripped down his brow, matting golden spikes to his forehead.

His breathing was ragged from both fatigue and his self-pity. "Fuck…," Cloud whispered, angrily. Suddenly, he jumped up and dashed to the far side of the courtyard, attacking a large flaming bowl urn as he screamed, repeatedly, "I'm not a fucking _TOY_!!!"

Relentlessly attacking the urn caused his knuckles to bleed profusely, red leaking through dirtied brown leather gloves. Fists and feet furiously pounded on the concrete bowl, pieces crumbling off into a pile on the floor.

Red stained the urn and the ground around it, but Cloud was beyond caring. He was too focused on his misery, reflecting on things he's done for Hades, for other people, used for nothing other than people's enjoyment. He had saved his Planet before, but there, in that place, he had been hired to take lives away from those he hadn't known, and never would.

Even being a savior caused him pain; he had to kill the man he loved. For what? Nothing. He didn't want their gratitude. He was cursed to live in a place where he would never be truly happy again.

Eventually he stopped attacking the pot and slumped onto the ground, his face buried in his hands. Tears flowed freely down his face as he cried for himself, cried for Sephiroth. He had forever to mourn and to wallow in his misery…

__

[And he never even told me he loved me.]

Sobs racked his body as a fresh bout of tears leaked down flushed cheeks. A cold chill ran through him and he shivered when he felt a familiar, bony hand on his unarmored shoulder. Without looking up, he spat shakily, "what do you want?"

"Ah, c'mon, Cloudy-boy, you don't want your lover-boy to find you like _this_, do ya?"

The blonde's head jerked up and looked at the man before him. "What are you talking about?!"

A large, toothy grin appeared on the elongated blue face. Cloud scrambled up and grabbed Hades' cloak, shoving him against the wall. "Answer me!"

Hades sneered and pushed the swordsman away. "Both of you, no respect for authority, I swear." He brushed his hands over his clothes, dusting them off, ignoring Cloud's glare.

The man's fists were clenched, wounds on his knuckles reopening, trickling blood onto the Coliseum's dusty floor. Hades smiled, somewhat amused at the situation.

"You got that attitude of yours from _him_, right?"

Silence echoed through the courtyard as Cloud glared at a smiling Hades. The blonde was definitely ready to attack. Piercing blue eyes bore holes into the god's unpleasant face for a long while before the blonde let out a slow, drawn-out breath, and inquired, hesitantly, "…who?"

The blue one smirked. "C'mon, kiddo, I know you're not _that_ dense."

"Where is he?"

Hades clicked his tongue and made a face. "Ah, see, he's out there," a hand gestured upwards to a nondescript location. "Somewhere. Searching."

Cloud took a step forward. "Why? I killed him."

"Forgiving guy? I dunno." Hades made a fist and knocked on the top of Cloud's head, grimacing as he pulled it away. "Ech, take a bath, kid."

The blonde's face softened as reality hit. He looked at his palms, his sullied hands, what they had done. They fell to his sides, his head down. Quietly, he asked, "is he really back?"

Hades snorted and spread his arms. "Ah, kid, would _I lie_?" He asked, an innocent façade playing on his face.

"You brought him back?"

"Yep."

Cloud glanced up, catching beady yellow eyes with his beautiful blue ones. "Why would you do this?"

"Because I love and respect you," Hades responded sarcastically. "Because you gotta get your head in the game! You can't be screwing up assignments, you know." He looked away, his eye twitching. "Besides, it's part of the deal."

The blonde was silent a moment. "…I never thought you'd make good on that…"

Hades waved a hand dismissively. "Yeah, yeah, no one ever trusts the word of the god of the Underworld." He smiled deviously. "I'm not _that_ shady, am I?" His face turned serious before he continued. "But you gotta pull through on your end, or else…" he shrugged. "You never know what could happen."

"…so he's really back…? Can I see him?"

"The deal, kid, the deal. Terms of the contract are met _after_ the job's done. Geez, haven't you ever had a job before?"

Cloud nodded. "Alright…"

The blue god grinned. "Good. We'll be in touch, then," Hades said, a tinge of amusement in his voice.

A bright red flame erupted around him and Hades disappeared, leaving Cloud on his own.

The blonde slumped back down to the ground with his legs pulled to his chest, elbows resting on his knees. He placed his clawed hand over his other, putting his mouth to his fist, a somber expression on his face.

__

[…shit.]

----------------------

__

A/N: Chapter revised on 4/27/04. Why? Because I wanted to. Sephiroth seemed a bit too OOC for my liking in the first one, not to mention there were several mistakes… and I felt like adding a little more description and dialogue between him and Hades. I didn't really change a whole lot with Cloud's part, just fixed some things I found slightly annoying.

So… yes. That's about it.


	3. Part Two

****

Part Two

__

Somewhere in this darkness there's a  
life that I can't find.  
Maybe it's too far away or maybe I'm just blind,  
maybe I'm just blind.  
------------------

Clunky black soles crunched down onto an icy pillar as Sephiroth was transported out of the Underworld. This new place was drastically different from Hell, full of ice and water and cold. A shiver zipped up Sephiroth's spine as he examined his surroundings.

Icy walls stood on either side of the place, water everywhere, almost as if he was in some frozen, hibernal canal. Platforms seemed to be floating everywhere in a random pattern, some of them rising and dropping sporadically, as small waterfalls littered the area below.

__

/Bubbles? What…?/ Sephiroth raised an eyebrow, not sure what to make of his new situation.

He took a careful step forward, testing the grip of his boots on the ice and snow. When he was sure he wouldn't slip, Sephiroth leapt from where he stood and up onto a higher platform hovering before him, repeating the process before encountering one of the moving structures.

Long, black-clad legs carried him easily from berg to berg, going higher as he went forward, carefully avoiding any of those… giant _bubbles_. There was a monster he encountered once back on the Planet which employed the use of bubbles, suffocating their victims in them, and he definitely didn't want to chance that same predicament now.

Sephiroth finally stopped ascending as he reached a new area, one much larger than the others. A tall arch was atop it, with ornate supporting columns and a shallow pool in the middle, completely filled with floating, pink waterlilies.

/That's awfully… feminine… for an arena… unless…/

The ex-General took a step forward but stopped himself when he came across a yellow, black and blue clad boy with ballooning pants standing wordlessly on an even higher platform, arms crossed, staring back at him with a pronounced smirk. Looming in the distance behind him was a large, showy castle, with twisted, broken turrets hanging off its sides, and completely surrounded by thick fog - even seemingly… floating on it?

Taking a closer look, Sephiroth managed to see the thin support of the castle through the dense fog, but it was a rather flimsy-looking thing; how it was able to keep the massive castle standing was beyond his reasoning. 

After checking out the strange palace, Sephiroth let his gaze fall onto the smug-looking boy once more. Pale with a proud stature and well-built for one so young, his short silver hair glittering… it was very strange…

/That boy looks like I did at his age… even the eyes…/

"You look like you've seen a ghost," the teen spoke in a smooth, deep voice, one eyebrow raised in amusement. "That blue bastard got you, huh?"

Sephiroth said nothing, merely watching as the boy flicked his head to the side in a move that seemed to be nothing but a force of habit, the hair swaying out of those bright aqua eyes for bare moments before falling right back into place again.

"We've been expecting you. I personally didn't think you'd come, but…" he trailed off, shrugging.

"I don't suppose this is the Coliseum, is it…," Sephiroth asked, though it came out more of a statement than a question, since the waterlilies practically confirmed that suspicion on their own.

"Of course not. Hades _is _an idiot, but he's not _stupid. _He still needs the kid. Selfish guy, really. Well," the boy gestured with a black-gloved hand for him to come forth, and Sephiroth wordlessly complied. "Let's go."

Sephiroth looked at the teen - who stood nearly an entire foot shorter than himself - and quirked an eyebrow. "Where?"

The boy pointed to the wicked-looking castle. "Hollow Bastion."

With nowhere else for Sephiroth to go, the older man followed as the silver-haired teen stepped onto a lift suspended by nothing but a thin wire, leading them towards the castle gates. To Sephiroth's surprise, the ride was surprisingly smooth, considering the circumstances of the contraption.

After a short span of silence, the boy turned his head towards Sephiroth to look into his eyes.

"I'm Riku, by the way."

The silver-haired man nodded in greeting, forgoing his own introduction. It seemed as if - _somehow_ - this Riku was already well aware of who he was, anyway.

Not too long after they stepped off the lift and onto a ledge outside the tall castle gates. Mako-enhanced eyesight spotted monsters laying in wait in the shadows, their large yellow eyes slightly glowing out of the darkness. Some of the small, ant-like creatures advanced as they passed but backed off immediately as soon as Riku shot them a commanding look.

Sephiroth smirked lightly, _/we really are alike. A simple gaze makes them listen./_

He peeked at Riku from the corner of his eye. The boy's face was emotionless as the two of them walked through the castle door and into a grand room, a massive staircase flanking either side of a gargoyle fountain in the middle of the room. The area was lavishly decorated with plush rugs, large statues and other such gothic decorations lining the walls.

Sparing a look upwards, Sephiroth noticed the room went up three floors but the stairway itself only managed to reach the second landing. _/…interesting…/_

"This place can be a little stuffy, Maleficent likes all this hoity-toity bullshit," the boy said, gesturing around the room.

"Maleficent?"

"Yeah. She's…" Riku smirked, making his way up the stairwell. "Well, you'll see."

Sephiroth unconsciously spread his wing as his companion spoke, but the boy caught the motion immediately and stared, apparently awed by the sight.

"…you'd think I would've noticed that before." Riku looked into the man's eyes knowingly and asked, "present from Hades?"

Sephiroth nodded, facing forward again. "I suppose."

"It's not bad. It suits you."

The man shook his head and smirked lightly. "Oh? How would _you_ know what suits me?"

Riku shrugged and pulled open a heavy set of doors. "I don't, not really. It just… seems to fit." The boy gestured for Sephiroth to step through the doorway first but the older man refused, opting to simply follow Riku for the time being.

The double doors led to a large library, the walls completely filled with books and then some. Rows upon rows of bookshelves stood almost haphazardly about the room, their placement creating a dense maze of sorts.

"Well, we're here."

__

/This place reminds me of Nibelheim…/ Sephiroth shuddered involuntarily. "And where exactly is 'here'?"

"It's… just a library. Maleficent told me to bring you here, but I can show you your room first, if you want."

"My _room_?"

The boy nodded and ran a hand absently over the binding of a random book. "Yeah. You'll be here for a while."

Sephiroth glared down at the boy. "No. I need to find someone."

"Look, it's not my decision." Riku turned and crossed his arms, leaning into a shelf. "I need to find someone, too, and I stay here." He tilted his head. "Well, most of the time."

"I'm still unaware as to why I'm here," Sephiroth started, resting a hand on his hip. "I don't even know where 'here' _is_…," he raised his arm, gesturing about the expansive library, "I have no clue who this '_Maleficent_'is, nor any idea who _you_ are, therefore I do _not_ intend on staying in this place."

Riku's frown deepened as the man went on.

"I have my _own_ business to attend to."

The boy huffed and grumpily pushed a piece of hair behind his ear. "I already told you. This place is called 'Hollow Bastion'. You'll meet Maleficent soon, and if you're worried about Cloud, don't." Riku shrugged. "Hades won't do anything with him, he still needs his… services."

"What do _you _know about Cloud?" Sephiroth hissed out, "how is it that everyone I've met so far seems to know of both him _and _me?! I have no clue who any of you people _are_!"

Riku snapped forward, narrowing his eyes. He stood mere inches away from the taller man, bravely glaring up at him, and spat, "join the fucking club, _Seph_. You aren't the _only_ one who's still fucking _clueless_ about everything, and I'll be _damned_ if you _dare_ yell at me again. So why don't you just stop your bitching and _go along with it_, because you have no _choice_."

__

/"Do what you're told, boy_."/_

Sephiroth was dumbfounded. The sudden rage he saw brew in the boy's eyes nearly mimicked his own when he was angered, the clear aqua darkening to a fiery, piercing jade, with the mood swings that emerge right from left field… and not only that, but the boy was actually standing up to him, not backing down even under the Sephiroth's equally cold glare.

"Get out of my face," Sephiroth said curtly. The boy's aqua eyes slitted even more.

__

/This little bastard…!/ "Stand _down_!" the silver-haired man growled, sorely tempted to strike Riku for his insolence.

Minutes of tense silence passed between them. Sephiroth managed to suppress the urge to shove the boy backwards into a bookcase several times, but just barely, and he was sure Riku was entertaining similar thoughts, from the look in his eyes.

__

/Then let him,/ Sephiroth thought as the showdown wore on, _/and then he will deal with the consequences./_

Neither one lashed out, but they didn't back off, either, until a chilling female's voice echoed through the library.

"Riku, our guest, please," she beckoned, her voice practically slithering, and sounded more snake-like than human.

The boy stepped backwards, pursing his lips in disapproval. "Maleficent calls," he said mockingly, before turning quickly around, and taking even strides which wove through the maze of books, Sephiroth in tow.

Riku led him up a set of stairs and pressed a button hidden next to one of the shelves. A bookcase shot out and slid off to the side to reveal a dark, hidden passageway.

The trek to Maleficent's quarters was unsurprisingly quiet as the two made their way through what felt like miles of hallways and endless 'lift stops', as Riku called them. The entire castle seemed more and more like one massive maze to Sephiroth as they went on with their journey. He studied his surroundings thoroughly, taking mental notes of suspicious doorways and blind halls, doing his best to catalogue the layout of the place when he had time to explore - if he was feeling ambitious, that was.

Guests were filing out of the room Riku led him to, and the boy halted to let them pass before they went through the door themselves.

Something resembling a stuffed potato sack was well on its way down the hall, jiggling with every step, as a pirate with a hook for a hand escorted a large, lilac-skinned, white-haired woman - or what appeared to be a woman - through the door. The woman tactlessly leered at Sephiroth as she scuttled by on oily black tentacles, licking her painted red lips in an obscene manner before she winked at him, provoking nothing but an involuntary shudder of disgust.

A tall, deathly thin man clad head-to-toe in black and red with a turban atop his head slid out next, a long, serpentine staff clutched in one of his bony hands. An obnoxious-sounding parrot accompanied him, flapping at the man's side and squawking loudly about nothing Sephiroth cared to listen to.

When the room eventually cleared, Riku jerked his head towards the door and stepped in. The boy had a confident walk, brimming with cockiness and pride, to which Sephiroth rolled his eyes and slipped through the portal behind him.

He was greeted by a tall, slender woman with a sickening green pallor, dressed in long, black and purple robes, with something that appeared to be twisted dragon's horns upon her head, doing nothing but adding to her already unfriendly appearance. She looked up at the both of them, smile playing upon the small mouth which seemed to accentuate her already elongated face.

"Hello, Riku," she purred in that same dour voice that graced the library, addressing the boy before turning to the taller man and nodded. "Hello, Sephiroth, a pleasure you could join us." The man grunted dismissively.

"Is there a problem with your accommodations, General?"

One of Sephiroth's eyebrows quirked. _/General… it's been a long while since anyone's called me that…/_

"If you have questions, I will gladly answer them. But I must warn you, I have business I must attend to shortly." She smiled at Riku. A pained expression rose to the teenager's face but faded quickly as it came.

Sephiroth cleared his throat before asking, "why am I here, exactly?"

Maleficent's eyebrows arched. "What have you been informed of thus far?" The smooth, eerily calm way she spoke was unsettling.

"All I've been told is that I must stay here, but not why. Earlier I was…," he gestured with his hands, not quite sure how to word his situation, "…_found_, I suppose, by Hades. He said something about my… my old enemy." Sephiroth smirked, feigning a wicked hatred in his eyes. "I would just love to see him again."

Maleficent smiled knowingly, and bowed her head. "Ah, yes, Hades' new plaything. He has plans for that one."

The ex-General stiffened. "Such as…?"

The woman laughed, the harsh sound raising the hairs on the back of Sephiroth's neck. "A secretive one Hades is… I know not the details, but I assure you, the consequences are dire," she cooed.

Gloved hands clasped together at the small of Sephiroth's back. He nodded shortly and responded, "I see. Though I hope he doesn't hurt him too badly, I'd be rather grateful if I could cause the boy some anguish of my own…," Sephiroth added as an afterthought. Even if it was a blatant lie, the response seemed to please Maleficent, who gave him a twisted smile.

"Of course. Is there anything else, my dear?"

"May I leave as I wish?"

Maleficent opened her mouth to speak and closed it again, rethinking her response. She deliberated a moment before answering, "I will let you come and go as you wish. You may leave in several days, General."

"Very well."

She bowed slightly and motioned towards the door with her hand. "A pleasure, General." She turned to face Riku and said, "my dear, please escort our guest to his quarters. I shall be back shortly."

"Yes, Maleficent."

The boy nodded and started towards the door, gesturing for Sephiroth to follow. Once they were out of earshot of the room, Riku broke the silence. "She doesn't know about him, you know."

"Cloud?"

The boy nodded, his hair bobbing in his face. "Yeah. Hades has his own agenda."

Sephiroth sighed loudly and tilted his head back, muttering, "Strife had better not be harmed."

"He will be if he doesn't follow Hades' orders. He's pretty strict when it comes to his contracts."

Sephiroth let his head fall to his chest, silver bangs swishing side to side with every step, and exhaled a slow, shuddering breath before he continued. "Why would he ever enter such a contract with that… _thing_?"

Riku whispered his answer, almost intending for it to be for himself alone, but the older man's Mako-enhanced ears easily heard his words. "Love makes you do stupid things…"

"And how do you know all of this?" Sephiroth asked, pretending he hadn't heard the boy's quiet statement.

"I just know," he replied simply.

"And yet Maleficent doesn't…?"

Riku shook his head. "No. I don't know why just yet, but she… just doesn't." The boy stopped shortly and retrieved a silver key from his pocket, dropping it into Sephiroth's hand as he tilted his chin at a broad wooden door.

"You can stay there." For the first time since they met, the older one gave Riku a small smile.

"Thank you."

Riku smiled back and shrugged, burying his hands into his deep pockets. "Don't worry about it." He sighed and cocked his head to the side. "We're more alike than just the way we look, you know."

The silver-haired man unlocked his door and answered with his back towards Riku. "I believe that's an understatement," Sephiroth mumbled before turning around. "Would you like to come in?"

"Nah, that's ok." Riku scratched the back of his neck and made a face. "You won't take too long, right? I'm supposed to play 'tour guide' for you, so…"

"Oh." The man slipped the key into his pocket. "I'll only be a minute." A hand grabbed the hilt of the Masamune and he murmured, "just want to put this away."

Riku's beautiful aqua eyes widened in awe. "Whoa…," he breathed, a faint blush creeping onto his cheeks. "I must be really out of it today. First the wing, then the sword…" He blinked, his eyes never straying from the long, deadly-looking blade. "How couldn't I have noticed that…?"

Sephiroth smiled inwardly, recalling the first time he saw his beloved sword, sure he had a near identical expression on his face.

"You're a swordsman as well?"

The boy nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, I used to play-fight with my best friend Sora all the time back home…" Riku trailed off, another pained expression showing itself on his face. He shook his head and looked back up at Sephiroth mere seconds later, and gave him a crooked half-smile. "That's a really impressive blade."

"The Masamune."

"Masamune…," he breathed, trying out the name. "It's… incredible."

Sephiroth stepped into his new quarters, motioning Riku inside. "Do you have a sword of your own?"

"Huh? Oh. No, back home I only had a wooden one…" Riku made another face. "I've never used an actual _sword_ before."

Placing the Masamune upright into a corner, Sephiroth responded, "that's alright. The first time I handled something other than a training sword was when I was about your age… 16, 17?"

"15. I'll be 16 soon, though."

"I see." He gestured elegantly towards the door. "Shall we go?"

Riku nodded slightly. "Sure."

The two of them strode quietly out of the room down twisting and turning hallways, Riku randomly pointing out rooms and their purposes. Sephiroth was slightly disturbed by the sheer number of _bedrooms_ the castle held while there were so few occupants inside, but Riku only shrugged when he was asked about it.

The two chit-chatted idly, trading stories about swordfights they've had, years of training and other things of that nature, neither of them revealing anything too personal. They both shied away from several topics - namely those relating to their respective homes, only really talking about them when referring to old sparring partners or places they've practiced. So far, the most personal information Riku told Sephiroth was that a boy, Sora, was the one he was looking for.

Sephiroth, on the other hand, hadn't needed to explain his situation with Cloud at all to Riku; the boy seemed to know enough about both himself and Cloud than he let on, accidentally letting out the occasional cryptic message but also refusing to elaborate when the older one asked.

The tour stopped momentarily at a nearby kitchen by Riku's request - rather, by the request of his growling stomach. The boy fixed himself a small lunch of only a piece of fruit and a sandwich, which Sephiroth declined, and ate it quickly before leading him back to the library.

The silver-haired man sat at a secluded table underneath a broad set of stairs on the lower floor of the library. His eyes quickly raked the shelves, measuring the off chance possibility of finding anything worth flipping through.

"…though I read enough six years ago for an entire _lifetime_," Sephiroth muttered quietly to himself, supporting his chin on a fist.

"What was that?" the teen asked, padding silently towards the table. He easily pulled himself up and onto it to lounge, both legs dangling over the edge.

"Nothing," the man replied, watching Riku closely. The silver-haired teenager shrugged off Sephiroth's utterance and folded his hands in his lap, both aqua eyes fixed on a sole spot on the floor.

They sat in absolute silence, the ticking from a clock the only noise in the entire room other than that of the swishing sound of Riku's billowing pant legs scraping together.

Out of the blue, Riku asked, "can I touch it?"

Sephiroth's eyes went wide as he stared at the younger one. _/…the last boy who asked me that was Clo—oh… I see…/_

Gleaming feline eyes followed the boy's gaze upward as Riku stared directly at the bluish-black feathers of his wing. Riku smirked at the man and arched a thin silver eyebrow when Sephiroth turned back to him, the somewhat embarrassed surprise not quite faded from his face.

"Don't get dirty thoughts, old man, I barely know you."

A slight, near-imperceptible blush rose to Sephiroth's pale face as he rolled his eyes, fully extending his wing. "Quiet."

Riku's black-gloved hand reached forward to tentatively pass his fingertips over the sleek midnight feathers. The silver-haired man bristled as the unique - and admittedly pleasant - sensation somehow passed straight through the soft plumes themselves, shooting through the nerves of his wing to send a shiver down his spine.

"What's it like?" the boy questioned curiously.

He shuddered as Riku moved his hand from the feathers and traced a finger up and down its length. That feeling wasn't unpleasant at all, not at _all_… in fact, the older man actually found it terribly stimulating…

Sephiroth suddenly grabbed the boy's wrist and pulled Riku's hand off to the side. "Enough," he gasped out, quickly crossing his legs.

Fortunately for him, Riku hadn't noticed Sephiroth's little outburst, still very much enthralled with the beautiful wing itself.

"Can you fly?"

Delicate silver brows knitted together. "…I haven't tried."

"You should."

"Why?" Sephiroth asked.

Riku arched his own eyebrow and upped Sephiroth's with a smirk. "It'd be really cool if you could fly."

__

/Like a typical teenager./ "Perhaps."

Riku braced himself on the table with his palms and leaned back, dropping his head behind him to expose a long, pale neck. The silver-haired man had to look away from the beautiful boy - the residual effects from that hand on his wing were tempting enough.

Sephiroth pushed his lips to his fist and murmured, "Riku?"

"Hmm?"

"What's your purpose in Hollow Bastion?"

The teenager tilted his head to the side, his silver hair just the right length to brush lightly against his shoulders. "I'm not sure yet. I just ended up here."

"Have you left at all?"

Riku shook his head, pulling one leg up to his chest and left the other dangling off the edge. "No, I've got the same order as you. Can't leave until Maleficent says. Actually, today was the first time I've even been out to Rising Falls."

"'Rising Falls'…? Is that area out front?" The boy nodded. "Oh." Sephiroth placed his chin on his fist again. "How long have you been here, now?"

"A couple days, I think? I'm not sure, really." He pulled himself up and hugged the leg at his chest, blankly staring off into space. The normally aloof ex-General caught the soft look of loneliness in the Riku's eyes and was painfully reminded of his own youth, those years spent in Hojo's lab, isolated from the rest of the world until he was deemed worthy of enrolling into SOLDIER.

Even when surrounded by others he felt that sting of loneliness, singled out from the crowd because of his hair, or his eyes, or that skill beyond his years with swords. It wasn't until years later he met Zack - or rather, Zack met him -, the extremely outgoing, optimistic, newly-promoted SOLDIER who, to Sephiroth's great surprise, went on to become his first actual friend, opening doors to other things…

Then, of course, came Cloud…

A break in Sephiroth's icy façade came when he asked, voice uncharacteristically soft, "are you lonely?"

The boy sighed deeply and hugged his leg tighter. "Only without my Light…"

__

------------------

Cloud stretched briefly, absently swiping the thick, black blood of a slaughtered Heartless from his brow, the tournament far too simple up to that point for the blonde fighter's skill level. The weak competitors were nothing but simple child's play for him after all that he'd been through - even the monsters in Midgar's slums posed more of a challenge. He hoped that kid and his animal companions he saw earlier made it as far as he had.

At least fighting a human opponent would be worth the effort.

"Hey, kid!" came Phil's voice, followed soon after by audible hoof falls.

"Yeah?"

"You'll be fighting again after this kid finishes his next battle, so ya know," the satyr said. The blonde nodded.

"I'm familiar with tourney procedure by now, Phil, but thanks." As quickly as he came, the little red goat-man trotted away.

Cloud headed to the arena's waiting area and sat on a stone bench, chewing on his lower lip. Today was the day he was supposed to kill Hercules, but he still had no idea how to go about it. The man was a demigod, after all, and he himself was… a Heartless with a heart.

The blonde groaned, dwelling on the sheer impossibility of his predicament.

Deciding to forgo the situation details until later, Cloud got up to watch the little spiky-haired kid as he clumsily attacked the Heartless, aided by a magic-casting duck and… something that appeared to be a very tall, lanky dog on the offensive.

The kid - Sora, the announcer proclaimed - made Cloud think of himself when he was younger… his skills with swords weren't at all polished back then either; at least not before Zack and Sephiroth took him under their wing, both of them training him hard, practicing with different techniques and numerous stances, each one changing slightly to account for the opponent's height and weight.

The blonde smiled slightly whenever Sora and his teammates were victorious in battle, all three of them jumping around and cheering before the brown-haired boy thrust his sword into the air triumphantly.

Sword…?

Cloud squinted and looked closer at the peculiar sword the kid was holding.

__

[…what the hell…? Is that a key…?] Cloud's eyes widened slightly. 

__

[…no way, that can't be the… but… he's a **kid**…!]

Before he had a chance to find out, Cloud sensed Hades behind him even before the god could announce himself. He tensed, a plan of attack for taking down Hercules still very much unformulated.

[Maybe I should just Omnislash him…] Cloud smirked despite himself. _[Yeah, that'll work.]_

[…in my **dreams**.]

"That little punk is your next opponent, okay?" Hades spoke suddenly, pointing over Cloud's shoulder at Sora and his team. "Now, don't blow it. Just take him out." 

__

[The kid?! What the fuck?!]

"The great god of the Underworld is afraid of a kid?" he replied quietly, a hint of mockery in his voice. Shaking his head, Cloud continued, "sorry, but my contract says—"

"I know! You think I don't know? I wrote the contract!" Hades interrupted, gesticulating wildly in back of him. "I know it says you're only required to kill Hercules in this tournament. But you've gotta fight that kid to get to him." A bony blue hand clapped the blonde on the shoulder.

"Come on," Hades leaned forward, closer to Cloud's pierced ear, and lowered his voice. "Hey, it's like that old goat says: Rule 11: it's all just a game, so let loose and have fun with it! I mean, a casualty or two along the way is no big deal, right?"

Cloud rolled his shoulders with distaste, showing the god that his hand was completely unwanted. The blonde fighter frowned and stepped out of the holding area, making his way away from Hades and over to the bleachers so he could watch the kid's last fight before the final Seed.

__

[The kid better lose this round, I can't… I can't get kill a fucking **kid**… even if it is…]

Mako-enhanced ears heard the Hades mumbling at his back, but Cloud was unable to pick up anything he said… which, he figured, was probably for the best. Cloud was definitely not in the mood to deal with that jackass any longer.

Sitting at the sidelines in time for the last fight, Cloud sighed as the last opponents of the tournament appeared within the barrier of the arena._ […wow. A Large Body and some weak magi… I'm so sorry, kid…]_

Sure enough, Sora and the others took out the Heartless almost effortlessly, receiving minor damage from the balloonish stomach of the Large Body and weak fire spells from Nocturnes. Cloud groaned loudly as his name was called, summoning him into the ring.

Cloud walked in slowly, his red mantle billowing out behind him, and watched the boy from the corner of his eye as he stepped into place opposite the kid, where he could studying him briefly before the fight… before he took him down.

The boy looked a lot like himself, Cloud noticed, with that same, slightly effeminate round face and impossibly blue eyes, all of it sitting below a head of unruly, spiky hair. Cloud couldn't help but frown; if Sora's hair was a golden blonde instead of dark brown, the boy could've been a miniature replica of himself.

__

[…only with baby fat, of course.]

The blonde waited until the introductory music for the fight drowned out before lifting the Buster Sword. He quickly decided he had no choice but to take the defensive, as the kid had already started to rush forward to attack. Cloud didn't want to dispose of the boy quickly, though; he wanted to test him, checking both strength and abilities, the same way Zack had with him back in ShinRa, and at least give the kid a fighting chance…

Sora's attacks were erratic and clumsy, severely lacking the fluid grace he himself had, and Cloud easily parried and dodged the boy's inept swings. The blonde thought Sora did have the potential to be a greatly skilled swordfighter somewhere down the line, given both time and the right training.

__

[…too bad he's not gonna make it past this fight…]

Sighing, Cloud decided to get the job over with. He pointed his sword outward and dashed forward, grazing the boy's arm as he practically flew by.

Sora cried out and flopped backwards as a low-level lightening spell crackled and shot a few good jolts through Cloud's body. The blonde stumbled momentarily, his body tingling from the attack, as the weird-looking dog rammed forward to drive Cloud back and away from the brown-haired boy.

Cloud swung the sword up in a high arc and followed it through with his body, quickly slashing downwards as he landed. Both slashes connected solidly with the dog, who barely had time to yelp before it slumped to the floor. Cloud took the opportunity to swing at the animal again before he could be cured, effectively knocking him out of the fight.

__

[One down, two to go…]

The boy looked frantic. "Goofy!" he cried, dashing forward to help his friend.

Cloud shook his head at the boy's compassionate nature, selflessly putting his own safety at risk for his teammate's. Deciding to use the boy's distraction to his advantage, Cloud dashed forward and quickly drove the sword into the boy's side.

Again Sora cried out and stumbled, but instead of simply falling, the boy flailed, swinging his key in Cloud's - general - direction. Before he could block the attack, the key slammed hard into Cloud's jaw and was gone, as Sora turned back to his dog friend.

The blonde blinked, a blinding white flashing before his eyes. _[What the hell was **that**?!]_

Cloud's vision was blurry, wavering in and out as he blinked again. Of course, with all the fighting he had done in his lifetime, Cloud had been hit in the jaw before… but this time was much, much different. The key had effected him somehow, disabling him for a few crucial moments as he teetered on his feet.

He swore inwardly at the distraction, noticing after the fact that the duck had ample time to heal the boy, and the boy, in turn, to heal the dog.

The blonde dashed forward again, aiming at the duck - most likely his biggest threat at the moment.

Cloud purposely overshot his mark on the first pass, flying past and disorienting the spell-casting fowl. With SOLDIER reflexes on high, Cloud spun around and instantly dove for the duck again; this time, the Buster Sword sliced into the duck's side, its blood staining the pristine feathers a deep crimson.

The duck - Donald, as Sora cried out earlier - attempted to shoot fireballs at the blonde warrior, but to no avail. Cloud was too fast as he shot towards the duck again, jamming the tip of his sword into its stomach and jumping up, very nearly gutting it as the duck passed out.

For good measure, Cloud placed his foot beside Donald's limp body and swept it out of the arena.

He turned around just in time to see the dog weakly advancing on him, as the boy apparently hadn't healed it enough; Cloud estimated one or two more hits would remove the dog from the battle.

Pleased with the dash-and-slash tactic's results so far, Cloud lunged forward toward the tall animal. The Buster Sword tore through the dog's flimsy shield as if it was made of aluminum, piercing the dog's chest. The damage wasn't bad enough to kill it - the wound was a deep gash at most - but the dog's knees quivered uncontrollably at the sight of its own blood.

Figuring he should take down the dog before starting in on Sora, Cloud pulled the sword back and thrust forward.

…and it didn't connect… but the dog fell anyway.

[The… the damn thing **fainted**!]

Chuckling a bit, the blonde turned around to face the little boy. Sora was trembling terribly, the key jangling in his grip, on the verge of tears as he looked at his fallen friends. He felt bad for the kid, but… that was the way these tournaments went…

Cloud's cape billowed to the side in a gust of wind as he lowered his sword. Sora simply stared, the key poised, but he was unwilling to attack just yet, instead taking a few tentative steps forward before he stopped a few yards short of the deceivingly strong blonde.

With a sigh, Cloud yanked his cape off of his wing, letting the frightening black appendage spread to its full width. The boy's blue eyes were wide with shock at the sight of the rather cherubic blonde bearing a single, wicked demon's wing.

__

[…may as well get this over with…]

"Farewell," Cloud murmured as he began flapping his wing, hovering slightly over the ground. Hades had let him in on the secret of channeling the powers of a Heartless a _long_ time ago, and to make the boy's death relatively quick and just a little less painful, Cloud decided to utilize what Darkness he had inside him.

The teen furrowed his brow and crouched, readying himself to defend against the attacks from the demon. Cloud pointed his sword to the ground and flew forward, grazing Sora's shoulder as he passed by. To counter the move, the boy swung the key in a wide arc, just narrowly missing the blonde's foot.

Cloud circled him quickly and slashed low at the boy, the tip of his blade digging into Sora's calf. Tears fell from the brown-haired teen's innocent face but Sora didn't falter, instead watching the blonde intently, weapon poised and ready to strike.

__

[Gods, don't cry, kid, be strong… don't be **weak**!!]

But without mercy Cloud went to attack again, whipping the Buster Sword around his body… but didn't feel any contact by the time he reached his starting position. The kid had vanished from sight.

Cloud looked around quickly for the brown-haired boy, but Sora was nowhere to be found…

…until Cloud felt the cold metal of the key Sora wielded slam hard into his back and slide down before the boy rammed it straight into his side. The blonde let out a loud grunt at the harsh contact and glided away, that familiar white pain and dizziness washing over him again, only this time much more intense.

Cloud didn't show his discomfort, of course, as the long years of training and battle had disciplined him, allowing him to stay composed even during the worst pain. It was something Sephiroth taught him, back when the man was still the great General: to your opponent, show no hurt and show no mercy.

Sora rapidly became more confident with his attacks and advanced eagerly on Cloud. The blonde skillfully strafed left and spun to dodge the attack before he shot forward and drove the sword deep into the boy's side. Sora sobbed in disbelief, sliding himself off the end of the Buster to place a gloved hand on his wounded side in attempt to slow the flow of blood.

As Sora struggled with his hurt, Cloud's control of the Darkness was fading fast. The blonde suddenly collapsed, his wing unable to support his weight any longer. He fell to the ground and stumbled, another wave of dizziness washing over him. Glowing, Mako-drenched blue eyes passed over the frame of the boy, his small, still-growing body shaking violently, and Cloud slowly lifted his sword.

Sora felt Cloud's gaze and looked up, eyes wide in fear, not wanting to go on with the battle any longer. The older one kept staring, noticing the boy's quivering lower lip and quick intakes of breath, and Cloud felt his hands trembling.

__

[I can't do this…] the blonde thought as he took a step backward,_ [I can't kill this kid.]_

Sora shook again and pouted, his large eyes clearly expressing the pain he felt.

[I can't do this, he's too much like me…] Cloud took another step backward, lowering his sword slowly. From the corner of his eye, the blonde spotted something that kept flickering from an icy blue to a fiery red, and immediately knew what it was.

__

[Do you hear me, you fucking ASSHOLE, I'm **not** going to kill this fucking kid!!]

A deep rumbling sounded followed by a sharp quake in the arena. Suddenly, a large, three-headed dog flew over the Coliseum walls and landed close to Cloud and the boy, its vicious jaws snapping as it leaked a viscous black liquid. Dumbly both of the ring's occupants gaped at the massive beast as the hilt of the Buster Sword slipped from Cloud's slackened grip, the heavy weapon clanking to the ground.

Sora was the one to snap back to reality first and got up, wobbly as he was on two unsteady legs. One of the large heads shot forward and slammed into the boy, knocking him back several feet onto the ground.

"Herc!" Phil shouted as a heavily muscled man with a shock of red hair ran into the arena, ready to attack.

"Phil, get them out of here!" Hercules demanded, his hands placed on one of the dog's heads. Cloud dodged the jaws of different head as he bent to retrieve his sword, fully prepared to fight the beast alongside the demigod he was sent to kill.

The satyr nodded and cast a quick cure spell on Sora and his companions, hurriedly leading them out of the arena.

"You alright to do this?" Herc asked, turning towards Cloud. "Cerberus is pretty nasty."

The blonde nodded his response and slashed at the gaping maw of the gigantic beast.

The red-haired demigod emitted a bright golden glow and pulled a beefy arm back, leaning far back on one leg, a powerful fist balled. The leverage he managed on his lower body worked to his advantage as the fist shot forward heavily, landing on the dog's jaw in with a solid crunch. Cerberus howled in pain and reared, lashing its paws out.

The blonde hopped back and then tore his way forward, his sword pointed upward. As Cerberus landed, Cloud pushed up, his massive blade tearing through the beast's sternum. Again the dog roared and the blonde freed the blade, the wound releasing a torrent of oily black blood. Using the animal's pain to garner an opening, Hercules slammed Cerberus a second time with a powerful uppercut, nearly breaking one of its jaws.

Cloud dropped to the ground and rolled out from underneath the creature, leaving behind a line of black gore. He stood shakily, taking a bare moment to right himself before lunging at the beast again.

Using Hercules' attacks to the monster's heads to his advantage, the blonde ran forward, viciously plunging the Buster Sword deep into the animal's throat.

He didn't have time to withdraw the sword as Cerberus again reared upwards, bellowing loudly. Hercules swore under his breath.

"Don't let go! You're too high up!!"

Cloud nodded and clutched the hilt of the sword tightly.

Cerberus seemed to understand the demigod's command and began to shake his entire body wildly back and forth, quickly dropped to the ground and rearing again, thrashing wildly. The second time the beast pulled up, the sword slipped free of the thick cords of muscle in the Cerberus' neck and Cloud fell from the sky, landing on the hard floor of the arena with a thud.

Hercules ran forward, narrowly dodging the dog's large paws as it landed to bring itself back on four feet once more.

The blonde barely noticed the quick slap to his face nor the strong arms that lifted him, tossing him easily over one broad shoulder. As an afterthought, the demigod grabbed Cloud's sword and ran him out of the arena as Sora's team rushed in, fully healed and ready to fight.

"Kid, I got two words of advice for you: _Attack_!" Phil shouted, and the boy was all too eager to comply.

Once safely outside the arena, Hercules set Cloud down and proceeded to lightly smack his face, waiting for the blonde to respond.

"Hey! Hey, can you hear me?"

Cloud groaned and coughed weakly, swatting at the offender with his clawed hand. His entire body ached, his head dizzy, and he was completely covered with dirt and grime - definitely _not_ in the mood to be smacked around, no matter _how_ good the intentions were.

"Hey you! You alright?" The red-haired man tapped Cloud on the cheeks again. The blonde rolled his head in attempt to evade the other's hand.

"Kid! _Kid_! _Don't_ do that again!" Phil screamed, his oddly accented voice tinged with worry.

"Ngh…," was all Cloud could manage, his eyes drifting open and closed randomly.

"Can you sit up, at least?"

The blonde lifted his head weakly and shifted, bringing his arms back, somewhat bracing himself on his elbows. "Yeah… yeah." Cloud turned his head to the side and spat out a bit of blood. His eyes raked around the room briefly before he asked, hesitantly, "…where's the kid…?"

Phil and Hercules exchanged wary glances. To the blonde's surprise, Phil was the one who spoke up, his voice uncharacteristically small. "He's still in there."

Cloud sat up abruptly, a look of pure contempt on his face. "What the _fuck_ do you _mean_ he's still in there?!"

The goatling frowned and crossed his pudgy arms in defiance. "He said he wanted to be a hero and went in. Couldn't stop 'im."

"I do _not_ believe you could be so irresponsible, Phil! What makes you think he can get rid of that _thing_ if he couldn't even beat _me_?!"

Phil tensed up. "I _told_ 'im to be _careful_!"

"'Careful' won't keep him from harm, Phil," Hercules said, frowning. "That really wasn't the smartest thing…," he trailed off, a sad look on his face.

Cloud stood carefully and grabbed the Buster Sword. "I gotta get out of here, I can't be near you anymore, Phil, sending a fucking kid in there with Hades' fucking _pet_," the blonde spat, barely containing his anger at Phil's stupidity.

Without waiting for the satyr's defense, Cloud stormed off, pushing the heavy stone doors open and making his way into the courtyard with harsh steps.

__

[I don't believe this. That kid better be alright or I'm going to murder that little red bastard,] he thought, pacing. _[…even though I was about to… kill him myself…]_

Cloud growled at himself as he walked towards the Coliseum gates, but stopped short as a thought occurred. The blonde shook his head and sighed, shoulders falling forward in defeat.

"I at least have to see if he's alright," Cloud muttered quietly to himself, making his way back to the exit of the waiting area.

The blonde collapsed heavily on the last step and pulled his legs up to his chest, both elbows resting on his knees.

"Damn kid, look what you're doing to me," the blonde sighed.

He rested his clawed hand over his other one and leaned forward, scowling at his own stupid mistakes. "…worrying about a kid I was supposed to kill… I can't believe I was so _stupid_…"

A familiar scrape of the heavy doors to the arena's waiting area sounded, followed by heavy, slapping footsteps. Cloud merely assumed it was Phil coming to apologize and ignored it, still much too angry at the satyr for even thinking of letting Sora go and fight the three-headed dog.

But, to the blonde's great surprise, Sora popped Cloud's field of vision, and seemingly unscathed. Before the blonde could even begin to open his mouth, the boy spoke. "Hey, are you all right?"

__

[…I should be the one asking **you** that, not the other way around…]

"Yeah."

The brown-haired boy seemed to hesitate a moment as if testing the tempestuous water that was Cloud's attitude. "So why did you go along with him, anyway?" Sora finally asked, knitting his brow.

__

[How the hell did you know that…?]

"I'm looking for someone," Cloud said quietly. He looked up into the boy's pure blue eyes and continued with a nonchalant shrug, "Hades promised to help."

[…and why am I telling you this?] "…I tried to exploit the power of Darkness, but it backfired…"

The blonde man stood slowly, casting a blank look towards the far wall of the courtyard. A slight breeze picked up, blowing at the blonde spikes atop his head, flaring the red mantle. "I fell into Darkness, and couldn't find the Light…," Cloud trailed off, talking more to himself than Sora at that point.

Sora bit his bottom lip and tilted his head, watching the blonde intently. "You'll find it. I'm searching, too."

"…for your Light?" Cloud sighed gently and reached into his pocket, pulling out a piece of paper with a very, very old technique planned out on it, 'Sonic Blade', one of the first Hades taught him.

[You have to be strong, Sora. This is the least I can do. I'm sorry…]

"Don't lose sight of it," he murmured. Cloud turned to face the young boy and pressed the paper into his hand.

[I hope this can help you more than it helped me.] The blonde turned to leave the Coliseum. _[…and we both have to keep searching.]_

Cloud slowed his pace when the boy spoke again, voice betraying happiness at the new ability the blonde had given him.

"How about a rematch sometime?" Sora giggled as he added, "fair and square, no dark powers involved."

Cloud stopped walking, simply leaving the boy at his back, mulling the suggestion over a bit. With a slight shake of his head, the mercenary raised his eyebrow and smirked. "I think I'll pass."

The blonde started toward the exit again. He could feel Sora's eyes still on him, watching him leave. Cloud closed his eyes before opening the door to the Coliseum exit and took a deep breath, giving a quick shake of his head. Cloud spun to looking in Sora's eyes; for some reason unbeknownst to him, the brown-haired teen's face lit up happily at the acknowledgement.

"Sora?"

The boy's face broke into a wide grin. "Yeah?"

"You're that legendary 'Keyblade master' I've been hearing so much about… meaning you've been to a lot of different worlds, right?"

Sora nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, I guess. We've been to a few places so far. Um, in our Gummi ship." He tilted his head to the side, eyebrows furrowed. "How come?"

"Have you…" The older man stopped and glanced at the ground, not so sure he should even ask… it was a stupid question anyway…

[Why even bother asking…]

"Have you ever met anyone with silver hair?" Cloud looked at his palm as he asked, curling the metal fingers absently.

[Stupid. No.]

"Of course!"

__

[What?!] "You have?" The man stepped forward, skeptical.

"My friend Riku!" 

Cloud cringed, involuntarily clenching his fists in disappointment. "Oh."

[…goddammit… stupid to get your hopes up, Strife…]

Sora walked forward and reached his hand out as he caught the brief, saddened look on the older man's face. "You can come with us, if you want," he blurted, nearly tripping over his feet as he suggested, "I can help you look…"

"…why would you do that?"

The boy shrugged and fell quiet for a bare moment before breaking out into a wide grin again.

__

[Just like Zack.]

"Because… it's the right thing to do!"

__

[…just like Zack.] "…I don't want to impose…"

The boy waved off the comment. "You won't. I can have Chip and Dale drop you off in Traverse Town." Sora grinned sheepishly and kicked at the ground. "After the tournament, I kinda need the supplies, so…"

Cloud's eyes flitted around the entrance to the arena. "Where's the rest of your party?"

"Huh? Oh." Sora jabbed a thumb behind him. "They're still in there. Phil's still helping 'em."

"I see." Cloud scratched the back of his head absently. "Sorry, about that…"

The spiky-haired boy bit his bottom lip and averted the blonde's gaze. "Don't worry about it… I don't blame _you_. Hades made you do it, right?"

__

[… exactly my stance on Seph and Jenova.] "Yeah."

Sora smiled again and buried his hands into his pockets, rocking back on his heels as he jerked his head backwards, gesturing to the waiting room. "I'm gonna go get my friends. You're coming with us to Traverse Town, then?"

The blonde nodded. "If there's no problem with it."

"Ah, I don't have a problem with it! I offered. But… Donald might, though…"

Cloud snorted. "That pain the ass duck, I'm guessing?"

Giggling, Sora replied, "yep! I'm still getting used to him myself, actually." Cloud smiled a little at the remark. "I'll go get 'em." The boy then turned, jogging clumsily into the arena.

The blonde man's smile broadened as he shook his head and let out a long, ragged sigh. "Damn kid…"

----------------------

__

A/N: Doot doot… revised 4/29/04. …and added about 2000 words… heh… heh… ahem. …what!? It's justified revising, dammit! The first time around, this chapter had a **major** lack of description…obviously. And Seph was OOC to me. I guess he's not so bad now, but yes. Anyway.


	4. Part Three

****

Part Three

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So hold me when I'm here  
right me when I'm wrong.  
Hold me when I'm scared  
and love me when I'm gone.  
------------------

In the library, Sephiroth half-heartedly scanned the bindings of several volumes of books, bored out of his wits. He'd been stuck in Hollow Bastion for _days_ now, never allowed to leave the premises, and it all was wearing quite thin.

Alone, he spent his time in the library surrounded by those books, browsing with no intent on reading at all, merely glancing at titles and leaving the leather-bound works themselves untouched. Once in a while he'd pick up one of them and leaf through it, barely glancing at the pages before he put it back down. He'd completely lost his taste for reading since Nibelheim, after all, and to be practically confined the castle's library when Riku wasn't around… 

Usually after hours of mind-numbing torture, he'd leave the castle walls from time to time, the Masamune in hand, and boredly attack the _pathetically_ weak Heartless littering the area. Unfortunately, Sephiroth was not in the mood the cut down the seemingly defenseless creatures at the moment, figuring the effort was more hassle than it was worth. There was no thrill involved in decimating the hordes of Heartless, no challenge in the least; so the man grabbed a book at random and sat down at one of the library tables.

"'Erotic Tales of the Count's Daughter'?!" Sephiroth read out loud, eyes wide, a little confused as to why there was such a book in the place. The majority of the tomes were reference materials, barely any of them books to be read for enjoyment, but _this_…

…Maleficent, Sephiroth decided, was a very strange woman.

Raising an eyebrow as he gave a sly glance around the room to be sure he was alone, Sephiroth opened it up to a random page and started to read this new - and rather unusual - discovery, unable to fight off that wicked curiosity. It was like gawking at a car wreck, in some ways…

/The bronzed woman pulled herself out of the lake, crystalline water droplets sliding easily from her heaving bosom. She unabashedly walked towards her discarded velvet robes, flipping her silken blonde hair over her shoulders. For a moment she stood, wiping her palms over her bare skin to remove lingering wetness from her long, slender limbs. Little did she know an admirer was lurking in the shadows.

__

"I have been watching you for a while now, M'lady," a luxurious baritone voice spoke, the admirer stepping out from his hiding place.

__

The countess laughed, a sound like tinkling bells, unafraid of her watcher. "Have you, sir?" she asked, beckoning the man forth. "I wish you had announced your presence. Had I known, I'd've invited you to join me in the spring."

__

The raven-haired man crept slowly forward until he stood mere inches from the proud woman's naked form. "Would you, my dear?"

__

"Oh yes, I would," she replied, taking the man's gloved hands and placing them on her—/

"That mother_FUCKER_!!" Riku shouted, storming angrily into the room.

The silver-haired man jumped at the sudden outburst and flung the book off into one corner of the room, turning in his seat to see a red-faced Riku kicking the side of a bookshelf hard and repeatedly.

"What happened?" the man asked, admittedly concerned. Earlier that day, Riku left the castle for the first time with Maleficent, the green witch explaining it was for 'business', so Sephiroth could only guess what the problem was…

The teen shook his head and crossed his arms, seeming to grow increasingly agitated as time wore on. Sephiroth knew that whatever was wrong was _not_ good.

Riku paced back and forth across the floor, gesturing with his hands occasionally as he spoke. "You know how Maleficent and I left earlier?" Sephiroth nodded. "Well, we went to some… town… and she told me to just walk around a bit while she 'handled some business'. Been cooped up here all the freakin' time, I _needed _to get some fresh air, so, obviously, I went.

"So I was just walking around, not really going anywhere… oh, and before we left, she gave me this sword, and I wanted to try it out. You know those little annoying ant-like Heartless?" The ex-General nodded again. "Well, I decided to go after a couple. And like, a second after I got rid of the thing, I turn around and see Sora standing there."

"…your Light?"

"Yeah. But he wasn't by himself like I _thought _he would be." Riku sneered and continued. "I just ignored the others, since Sora ran up to me and looked… happy."

"That's understandable," the silver-haired man murmured, but Riku disregarded the comment.

"He pulled at my mouth to see if I was real - he's a weird kid, I told you… but then he had the nerve to ask me about Kairi, this girl…"

Sephiroth frowned slightly as the teen shook his head and huffed, hastily raking a hand through his hair. "I… didn't _know_ she wasn't _with_ him! Like… like I'm supposed to just automatically _find _her… I didn't even _know_…"

Riku sighed, lowering his voice to a less discernibly angry tone. "I tried to be optimistic, because he looked like he needed me to be… and then one of those little punk Heartless snuck up behind me.

"But before _I_ could take the thing out, Sora pulls out this… _key_… and bashes the thing with it. Then he starts bragging, acting like he's _better_ than me!" Riku growled, slumping into one of the table's chairs next to Sephiroth.

"…you're angry at him for being confident?"

The teen's mouth floundered for a moment before he shook his head, waving the question off. "It… it's not just that… we've always been rivals, and…" Riku trailed off, pursing his lips. "…maybe. So what?"

Sephiroth shrugged.

"…anyway… he said he was looking for me and Kairi, with those… _things_ he had with him… get this: a talking duck and a talking _dog_. How… ugh." The teen folded his hands under his chin and continued, shaking his head. "Whatever.

"So Sora says he's been looking for me all over a bunch of different worlds… hmph. Obviously _not_, you know, since he didn't come _here_… but then the dog just randomly breaks in telling me Sora's a… 'Keyblade master' or something like that…"

Riku snorted derisively as he cast the winged man a sarcastic look. "He has a giant _key_, Seph. It's so… _retarded_. How the _fuck_ is a _key _going to do damage…? So… I just wanted to see it for myself."

"Curiosity killed the cat," Sephiroth stated under his breath, absently quoting the god responsible for his resurrection.

"I know, right?" Riku chuckled mirthlessly. "And, yeah… well… I took it right from the kid when he was arguing with that stupid… _dog_ thing… and was just checking it out. It was nothing special… I don't know what was so great about it, it was more stupid than anything…" The silver-haired teen frowned.

"But Sora got all _pissy _and yelled at me to give it back. That, of course, sounded like a challenge, so I just kinda taunted him with it, but…" he sighed, shaking his head. "He looked so angry at me for taking it, so I gave it back to him."

Sephiroth eyed the teen quizzically. "This doesn't sound so terrible, Riku…"

The boy shrugged. "I'm getting to that… okay, then Sora asked me if I was going to go with them, but before I could even answer, that… _asshole_ of a _duck_ starts flipping out!" Riku paused to shake his head again, blowing the hair out of his eyes. "Seriously though… I had to get out of there before I killed that duck."

Riku smirked and raised his eyebrow at his temporary companion. "I'm sure you know that feeling, right?"

Sephiroth nodded. "Story of my life," he muttered, distractedly running a gloved finger over the smooth tabletop as the teen placed his palm on his forehead.

"Anyway, I ran into Maleficent a little while after, not too far away from Sora and them, actually, and then she suggests we follow them." Riku's mouth grew into a bitter, scornful frown. "They went into this small house, and there were _more_ people in there. Some blonde guy, a girl in pink, another girl who was only, like, half-dressed… this… leather-freak… no offense," he added with a smirk.

The teen noticed Sephiroth about to ask something, but raised his hand to stop him, fully aware of the question in tow. "Before you ask, no, the blonde wasn't Cloud… I don't think." Riku snorted. "…unless your Light is some chain-smoking old guy."

The ex-General chuckled, "no."

Again Riku's expression twisted into one of disdain. "But… they were in there, laughing… I wouldn't have made anything of it, but that _bitch_ said that he replaced me with those _freaks_… normally, I wouldn't have believed her or anyone else who would even suggest that kind of thing, but…," the teen sighed and pulled himself up from the hard, wooden chair, moving to lean heavily against one solid bookcase, "Sora _did _snub me…"

Unceremoniously Riku slid down to the floor, frown deepening as his voice softened. "Then we came back here. It just… pisses me off, you know?"

The silver-haired teen pulled one of his legs up to wrap his arms around it, resting his chin on his knee. "I was so happy to see him again, and… I don't know… now it's like he's too preoccupied for me…"

"But in all fairness, you _did_ run off before the boy could explain himself," the silver-haired man noted quietly.

Riku shook his head and shrugged, exhaling a weary breath. "I know. But I was pissed off… that's what I do…" The teen let head fell back, thumping it against the leather bindings behind him with a growl. "That's _all_ I do. Run when shit gets bad."

The man nodded. "I understand," he said, adding as an afterthought, "I'm the exact same way…"

After a short span of quiescent silence, Sephiroth lifted his glowing Mako eyes and looked over to Riku, the teen still stewing slightly over his predicament. He couldn't say he didn't feel bad for the boy… Sephiroth was fully aware of the pain of loneliness, of being thrown aside for something better and new.

But the silence had gone on for far too long for his liking, and it wasn't a good idea for Riku to dwell on something like that. Hesitantly, Sephiroth asked, "where's the witch now?"

"Off. Probably having some meeting or something, I don't know and honestly, I don't care."

"I see." Sephiroth rubbed his chin contemplatively, eyebrows furrowed, before dropping his arm into his lap with a tired, worn-out sigh. "Riku, can you tell me how you got to that place?"

The boy shrugged. "Maleficent did… something…," he swayed his hand inattentively in the air, aqua eyes still affixed to the library's carpeting, "like that, and this black portal popped up… and we went through it, ended up… wherever it was we ended up."

"She didn't tell you how it was done, then?"

"No, sorry." Sephiroth let out an agitated grunt and looked away.

Once more the two fell silent, Riku tracing circles on the floor with a gloved finger distractedly as he whistled a light, airy tune Sephiroth wasn't at all familiar with.

The man tapped his foot on the leg of his chair, bored as usual. It was as if nothing in the castle could sate that need to do _something_ other than mope around in the dismal atmosphere. The fact that neither one knew what to talk about didn't help, either, considering they were both still rather unwilling to divulge anything personal to each other, keeping themselves guarded and their memories locked away, still wary of one another even after spending several long days in each other's company.

Regardless of their unwillingness to talk, both of them knew they needed to do something constructive to pass the time, and preferably something _active_. Sephiroth himself grew tired of the so-called 'quiet life' fairly easily, and Riku seemed to be the same way as well.

And besides, even if they were the types to stay still for hours, reading the tomes on the shelves was out of the question - the majority of the subject matter was uninteresting enough to lull even the _dullest_ person to sleep.

Finally, it was Sephiroth who broke the long, drawn-out stretch of silence.

"You mentioned a sword?"

Riku perked up at the acknowledgement and smiled brightly. "Yeah. It handles nice, too. Fits me perfectly."

"Alright then, what do you say to a spar?" the man asked, eyebrow raised. Even though Riku was just a boy, Sephiroth was confident he would be able to pose _some_ sort of challenge, especially if he was anything like himself at that age.

And he had an idea that Riku would most likely benefit from a round or two of practice as well with his new sword just to get a more definite feel for the blade. And perhaps, the ex-General thought with a slight smile, he could even pass on a move or two onto the teen. Sephiroth _was_ the Planet's greatest swordsman, after all.

Besides… what the hell _else_ was there to do? 

But Riku seemed intimidated a moment at the suggestion, and Sephiroth could tell he was carefully deliberating in his head, sizing the other man up. He stayed quiet as the teen made his decision, not wanting to force him into anything.

Sephiroth couldn't hold back the light smile to himself as Riku gave his own grin, nodding.

"Alright!" The boy smirked. "You think you can take me, old man?"

The silver-haired man snorted at Riku's cocky attitude.

He rose gracefully from the chair and made his way to the corner of the library, where the Masamune stood in all its glory. His pride and joy, that beloved sword… a wicked blade which had mercilessly taken the lives of many, completely led by his hand as if it was an extension of his own body, and the fact that he was the only one who could _ever_ wield the gleaming silver weapon filled him with a sick sense of pride.

"Go retrieve your sword," Sephiroth murmured, attaching the Masamune's scabbard to his belt.

Riku immediately dashed out of the library and returned within mere minutes, clutching a silver, gold-hilted blade in his right hand. "Let's spar in the Grand Hall," he started, jerking his head toward the stairwell, "there's more room in there."

Sephiroth nodded and followed a few paces behind the teen.

On the way there, Riku practiced slashing and lunging, attacking the occasional, rather _unfortunate_ Heartless which crossed his path instead of ordering them away. Sephiroth looked on, rather impressed with what he saw.

The boy was indeed a promising young swordsman, exhibiting that same formidable combination of grace, speed and power that he himself had as a youth. Riku's precise footwork and adept swipes of the blade showed the older man that without a doubt, Riku - _despite_ his young age - would definitely be worth sparring with.

Inside the Grand Hall was dimly lit and somewhat eerie, as well as deathly quiet. Even their footsteps echoed as they waltzed in, Sephiroth's boots clacking on the cold, hard floor.

The room was decorated in completely gothic décor, done up all in black and shades of grey marred by the occasional silver accent. Large stone pillars were set right into the thick, near-windowless walls and stretched straight up to the high ceilings, twisted masks of gargoyles adorning the walls, seemingly staring straight at them with cold, dead eyes.

"What lovely decorating," Sephiroth commented dryly, examining the dreary interior with distaste. Riku snorted at the offhand comment.

"Yeah, I told you she likes this kind of shit…," the teen spoke as he took easy strides down the hall, stopping when he reached the middle of the room.

"Are you ready?" Sephiroth asked, standing quite a few feet away from the boy.

Riku nodded and quickly took on a position that betrayed neither offense nor defense. Sephiroth smirked.

/Smart boy./

"I want to warn you," the older one started, "I'll be going quite easy on you."

"Yeah, yeah. Let's go, old man."

The ex-General crouched and slowly laid his right hand on the hilt of the Masamune, clutching the scabbard in his left. In one swift motion, Sephiroth's arm shot out and unsheathed the seven-foot blade, holding it straight out in front of him.

Riku stood his ground, absently licking his lower lip in anticipation.

Deciding the boy wasn't going to make the first move, Sephiroth hopped forward quickly to take a quick, low swipe at Riku before jumping back into his original position a split-second later.

Riku merely watched Sephiroth as the two circled each other, swords poised. The man hopped forward again and unleashed a series of lightening-fast slashes, most of which the teen was able to successfully block. Sephiroth took a step back and lunged forward once more, catching the other silver-hair off-guard, and Riku fell back, footing lost.

The silver-haired man smirked as the teen hit the ground, watching him, but not at all anticipating Riku's quick counterattack.

Riku rolled back, curling his legs to his chest and launched himself at the ex-General feet-first, slamming them solidly into the man's chest. Sephiroth stumbled slightly as the boy kicked off upon impact, managing an adept backwards roll away from the danger zone before getting back on his feet to take a fast swipe at the silver-haired man. A prompt parry came, followed up by a thrust of the long, narrow blade, landing a shallow cut on Riku's face.

The injury was purely unintentional and Sephiroth faltered as a bright line of red slid down the teen's pale cheek, and he lowered the Masamune to aide the boy.

To Sephiroth's great surprise, Riku simply shrugged off the attack, instead took the opportunity to dash forward, sword poised for attack. The man sidestepped the swipe and twirled around as the boy kicked, his foot connecting with Sephiroth's stomach.

"You're vicious," the leather-clad man hissed, smiling proudly as he let out another series of slashes with that same fluid grace, "I like that."

Riku smirked, blood oozing from the wound on his cheek, blocking the attacks with a skill beyond his years. He crouched down and swiped at Sephiroth's legs, the man hopping back to evade the blows.

Purely on impulse, Sephiroth raised his left fist into the air and clenched it to merely intimidate the boy, quickly snapping his arm back down to his side.

Suddenly, a protective wall of fire burst up around Sephiroth, surrounding the winged one with a blinding white light and intense, searing heat.

Riku immediately rolled to the side and away from immediate harm, but still he stayed on the ground, completely shocked by the stunt his opponent pulled, staring at the taller one with wide aqua eyes, jaw floundering in disbelief.

Soon enough the fire died away, leaving behind nothing but the stench of a blaze and a severely dazed Sephiroth in its wake.

It was Riku who spoke first.

"What…?! You… _cheater_!! What were you trying to do, _kill_ me!?" he yelled angrily, glaring at the older man. "You… gods, you fucking _cheater_!!"

Sephiroth blinked, only partially coming out of his stupor. "I wasn't… cheating…"

__

/What was that, Flare…?/

"You were using magic!!"

"Magic I wasn't aware I had in this place…," Sephiroth countered.

"Bullshit," Riku spat, wiping the blood on his cheek with the back of his hand. "You pulled that shit on _purpose_, I know you did… no one can cast a spell like _that_ without knowing what they're doing…"

Sephiroth narrowed his glowing aqua eyes, boring his gaze into the boy's own. "Is that so?"

"Yeah, it is."

"So you truly believe," the man started, gesturing wildly for emphasis, "that I would have invited you to spar with me if I intended on winning this worthless match with something degrading as _magic_?"

The boy stood slowly, hand white-knuckled on the hilt of his sword as he glowered. "_Would _you?"

Sephiroth shook his head vehemently. "No! Why would I… what good could have possibly come from that?" He looked at his left palm where he could still feel the tingling of spent magic, then up into Riku's eyes. "Honestly. I hadn't known of that ability…"

"How could you do that?"

"…I couldn't tell you if I wanted to…"

Riku peered at the man, sensing the honesty in his voice and eyes but still wary of that untapped power Sephiroth must have had brewing inside of him. How the man could have summoned something like that without being at all aware of it was a mystery to the teen, still dumbfounded by the wall of fire…

The Masamune pointed to the ground, Sephiroth slumped his shoulders slightly, taking another look down at his palm. Experimentally he clenched his fist, partially relieved no other offensive magic expelled from his being. The more Riku watched him… frankly, the man appeared to be ashamed of that newfound power.

"…can you do it again?" the silver-haired teen asked, quietly curious.

Sephiroth's eyebrow raised. "I suppose can try, if you really want me to…"

The boy nodded, and the ex-General repeated his previous actions, his head tilting back this time, Mako-enhanced orbs tightly shut to block the harsh, dazzling light.

As expected, the inferno erupted again, but much larger than before, the wall spread out several feet further, giving the ring of protection an even wider span. Sephiroth snorted and shook his head, incredulous of the entire situation, before he sheathed the Masamune and pulled a lock of silky silver hair in front of him, inspecting it for any signs of damage.

The teen let out a short laugh and crossed his arms, tsk'ing in mock disapproval. "You're so vain."

"Mm." Flicking his hair back, Sephiroth raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Perfection isn't easy to maintain, Riku." The boy rolled his eyes and smiled.

"You're pretty weird."

"Yes I am."

Riku jutted his chin towards Sephiroth. "Think you can do any other spells?"

"It's a possibility," the man said, shrugging. "But, I'm not inclined to try at the moment. I've a feeling that anything else I'm able to do would involve fire, and I'm a bit wary of fire these days," Sephiroth stated, lowering his head as well as his voice.

Riku gave the man a knowing look, but said nothing. Instead, he pulled at a black and white suspender, tapping the flat of his sword against his leg.

"I need to get out of this place," Sephiroth grumbled dejectedly. "This castle is driving me mad."

The teenager glanced upward, caught off guard by the sudden statement. "Why? Because of Cloud?"

A bluish-black wing twitched involuntarily, and Riku interpreted the move to mean that he was right.

"I'm sure he's fine, Sephiroth," the boy said. "Hades still—"

"Hades made him sign a contract, and if it isn't fulfilled then Cloud could die," the leather-clad man interrupted. "Do you know what it was he needed to do?"

Riku shook his head and pushed a piece of silver hair behind his ear. "No, I don't. I only know that Hades hires 'suckers' to carry out assassinations."

"So basically, he's being used… a hitman for the god of the Underworld."

"Pretty much, yeah."

Sephiroth sighed, placing the heel of a hand on his forehead, and muttered a curse. How could Cloud have gotten himself mixed up in something like that, and _why_…? Didn't he care about himself at all? Why would he want to become a puppet like that again…? …for _him_?

Riku cautiously walked forward and wrapped an arm around the taller man's waist, his cheek pressed against his bare chest, and the silver-haired warrior looked down at him, frowning deeply.

"You're worrying too much, Seph," the boy whispered.

The two remained that way for a while, silent, and broke away only at the sound of approaching footsteps in the distance, and both of them turned to see Maleficent entering the hall, one of her stick-thin eyebrows arched high in amusement.

"Riku, dear," she drawled, mouth twisting to a sickening smile, "I have an errand you must attend to."

"But we just got back not too long ago…," the teen noted, curious and wary.

"Dear boy, do you not remember how the time flows at Hollow Bastion?" she asked, bringing her staff in front of her to grip it with both long, slender hands. "Days have passed in other worlds, and I'm afraid we may be running out of time."

Sephiroth cast a skeptical glance in Maleficent's direction. "'Running out of time'?"

The witch nodded. "The Keybearer has been locking the Keyholes to the worlds, inhibiting us from passage. Out of spite, perhaps… we do not know. But the boy hinders my ability to work." She tilted her head and smiled. "A hero complex, most likely."

Maleficent turned to Riku and let her smile transform into a frown, mocking the teenager right where he stood. "He hasn't found dear Kairi, yet, either. She _could _be in danger, Riku." The way the witch purred her words in such a blatant imperative made Sephiroth cringe.

Riku lowered his eyes and wrung his hands together, worrying at his lower lip. "…shit."

Sephiroth glanced at the boy, but said nothing.

Maleficent smiled again and brought a long, slender finger to her chin. "I believe I can direct _you _to her, however, my _dear _boy."

__

/She's done something with the boy's friend…/

"How…?"

Again the witch smiled. "When the errand is finished, my boy." She crooked a finger and beckoned him away from the black-clad man. Shooting him the occasional glance, Maleficent whispered something in Riku's ear and he nodded, leaving the room. When he was sure the teen was out of earshot, Sephiroth slowly approached Maleficent.

"Why are you using him?" he demanded.

Maleficent blinked innocently. "I am not using him, General. I'm merely giving him what he wants." She tilted her head and turned to leave. "Come, Sephiroth. This concerns you as well." He followed obediently.

The witch led them to a meeting room, completely dark save for the large black cauldron seated in the middle, thick green smog flowing down its sides. On one end of the cauldron stood the familiar, black-cloaked, flame-headed god. Sephiroth snarled and advanced on him.

"Where is he?!" Sephiroth spat, snatching Hades' collar.

The god of the Underworld shrugged nonchalantly and made a face. "Kid's outta my power now, pretty-boy. I can't tell ya."

Aqua eyes narrowed dangerously, practically spewing malice from their very depths. "You lying son of a _bitch_,what have you _done_ with him?" Hades rolled his shoulders and snorted, waving a flame-tipped finger side to side then blew on it, extinguishing the tip.

"The kid didn't do his job," Hades said simply.

Sephiroth's face hardened as he tightened his jaw. Through teeth gritted to steel himself, the silver-haired one asked, "so he's dead, then?"

The witch ignored the scene and conjured up an image in the sickly liquid inside the cauldron, watching Riku as he made his way through the portal of Darkness, heading towards Agrabah.

"Maybe he is, maybe he's not, who do you think I am, his biographer?" Hades shrugged and turned to watch the scene as it flickered, showing the silver-haired teen pick up a tan, black-haired woman in seafoam-colored clothing. Behind him, a large crimson genie was surrounded in lava and flame, apparently involved in battle. Sephiroth looked into the cauldron, seeing a quick flash of silver, followed by brown and the occasional flicker of red.

Bored with the eventful - but uninteresting - image in the cauldron, Sephiroth turned to face Hades another time.

"I should kill you," Sephiroth spat angrily, clenching his fists and considering just how useful that inferno would be on the god of Hell.

Thinking the better of it Sephiroth spun on a heel to leave, but stopped when Maleficent placed a thin green hand on his shoulder.

"Will you gentlemen excuse me a moment?" she asked, exiting before the black-clad ex-General could take his leave. Sephiroth growled at the touch, shooting daggers from his eyes at the retreating woman's back, but complied. In the cauldron, Riku trudged through thick blackness, the mystery woman slung over his shoulder.

Too curious about the happenings to think about who he was asking, Sephiroth gestured towards the image. "What is he doing?"

Hades peered at Sephiroth with beady yellow eyes and sucked his teeth. "You friends with the kid?" Sephiroth blinked.

"Riku?"

The blue god clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes. "No, the _Keybearer_," Hades replied, sarcastically. "_Yeah_, with the silver-headed frea—er, kid."

Sephiroth sneered momentarily but managed to compose himself, flicking a piece of hair over his shoulder. "I suppose I am."

Hades' eyes gave him a once-over quickly, and he tilted his head. "Nah, you'll find out later, pretty-boy." Sephiroth snarled again and went to advance on the blue god, but stopped abruptly as Maleficent led Riku back into the room, a long, slender hand on the teenager's shoulder.

Hades greeted Riku mockingly, making a face for a reason Sephiroth couldn't figure. Once the four of them were neatly situated around the cauldron, Riku looked up at Sephiroth, then over to Hades.

Catching Hades' condescending look, the boy crossed his arms and snapped, "what?"

"That smarmy vizier could've had 'em - if someone had stuck around to give him a _hand_," came the grumpy reply.

Riku narrowed his eyes and frowned. "Hey, I did my part… I brought the princess, _didn't _I?"

__

/Princess? …that half-naked girl…?/

The green-skinned woman squeezed the hand on Riku's shoulder reassuringly, locking eyes with Hades. "Jafar was beyond help, consumed by his own hatred," she said, defending the teenager. Glancing at Sephiroth then back towards Hades, she continued. "One should beware of letting it burn too fiercely."

The ex-General gritted his teeth.

Hades put his hands out in front of him, waving them in Maleficent's direction, fending off her accusations. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Lighten up. I'm as cool as they come, okay?" He broke from the witch's gaze and leaned towards the silver-haired teen. "By the way, kid, have we got something special for _you_."

The boy shook his head and raised an eyebrow in confusion. Sephiroth didn't blame him in the least, after the way Hades had acted towards him earlier…

"Huh?"

Maleficent nodded. "We had a deal, yes?" Her free hand waved above the cauldron. "You helped us, and we grant you your wish…," she continued, the image of a pretty, red-headed teenage girl appearing. The girl was dressed in white and purple, her image laying in the smoke, both eyes closed, and, apparently, unconscious.

"Kairi!" Riku gasped, staring at the girl's image. He looked up into the witch's face, bewildered.

__

/…what does she want from you, Riku?/

"Go to her. Your vessel is waiting," she said, waving her hand towards the door. A red-clad pirate came through the portal, and Sephiroth immediately recognized him as the same pirate from the meeting earlier, with the hook for a hand. Only this time, Sephiroth noticed how absolutely ridiculous the man looked, with a long, pointed nose and funny-looking mustache…

The man sneered and addressed Riku with unwarranted anger. "Just remember, this is no pleasure cruise. It won't be a pleasant voyage."

Riku's face pinched as he asked the witch quietly, "why are you doing all this for me? What's the catch?" Sephiroth's eyebrow quirked, relieved the boy picked up on the same thing he did.

Maleficent wore an unpleasantly human expression as she asked, "catch? What's the catch?" she repeated, blinking innocently. "Silly boy. You're like a son to me. I only want you to be happy…" Her bony green hand reached up and lightly brushed the boy's cheek. Riku grimaced and slapped her hand away, disgusted.

"I seriously doubt that," he muttered, meeting Sephiroth's gaze as the man nodded slightly, confirming his own suspicions.

Maleficent glanced between the two and smirked. "Believe what you wish. But lest we forget, I kept my end of the bargain."

Riku sighed and turned to leave before stopping. He scratched a shoulder absentmindedly and asked, "what about Sephiroth?" The older man shot a look at the teen, eyebrow raised in confusion.

Hades and the witch eyed each other for a moment. The blue one appeared to be at a loss for words, only able to make a face once in a while, apparently hoping Maleficent was able to read his expressions.

Finally, Maleficent responded. "Would you like to take him with you?"

The ex-General stepped forward and determinedly shook his head. "I can't. I must leave."

"Where have you to go?"

Hades rolled his eyes, throwing his hands in the air. "Hmph. Humans."

"I can't stay here anymore," the man said, sad eyes glancing at Riku, "but I need some way to travel."

"Can't this wait, _boy_?" Captain Hook asked, tapping his foot angrily. Sephiroth pursed his lips, once again tempted to summon that inferno.

Maleficent rolled hear hand on her wrist as she murmured, "you shall, soon, General. For now, accompany Riku. He's grown quite fond of you," she finished with a definite, knowing smirk.

The silver-haired man bristled at the comment, but opted to stay with niceties. With a respectful bow, he said, "very well."

The pirate glared at the two silver-haired ones as he led them from the gates of Hollow Bastion and onto his boat, helping Riku to retrieve the girl, Kairi.

__

------------------

The seating situation in the Gummi ship was both increasingly uncomfortable and increasingly awkward for Cloud. Both the duck and the dog sat in the front of the aircraft, the former randomly shooting angry glares at Cloud as the blonde did nothing but sit there, waiting for the ride to be over. The ride was less than smooth and resurging a bout of motion sickness, even if the pilots - _[…flying **chipmunks**…]_ - were the 'best in the King's court', or so the strange dog put it.

Despite his general goofiness, the dog was quite astute, doing his best to make small talk during the entire trip to thankfully keep the duck's attention off the mercenary. Cloud sat on the ship's floor, at Donald's insistence - most mid-size Gummis had a maximum occupancy of three, and due to the duck's near weightlessness, there were no _real_ problems with capacity… Donald was just a spiteful asshole.

Well, there was a problem with capacity, but that was only due to the lack of a chair. The courteous brown-haired teen had offered his seat to Cloud at first, but the blonde warrior turned it down; Donald's torrent of complaints got ear-piercingly loud as he spewed them forth, and after the first minute in Sora's seat listening to the duck bitch and moan nonstop, Cloud realized that the duck's bellyaching was enough to get on a _dead _man's nerves and fell to the floor in hopes of some peace and quiet.

Once Donald and Goofy had started a relatively engaging argument with each other about the best way to bypass Heartless Gummi ships, Sora turned to Cloud and chatted about nothing in particular at first, subjects from the excitable youth changing rapidly from enemies he encountered in places he called 'Traverse Town' and 'Deep Jungle' to the inextinguishable Mog candles to the legendary Paopu fruit.

Cloud listened half-heartedly, nodding occasionally or asking simple questions. When the brown-haired teen went silent, the swordsman quirked an eyebrow, but said nothing. Sora sat in quiet reflection before he asked, "Cloud, can you tell me about the person you're lookin' for?"

The blonde sighed, images and thoughts of his Light flooding through his brain. Memories both good and bad flew through his mind's eye, and some he preferred did not surface.

Cloud shook his head to himself, and decided gave Sora just a few superficial details in hopes that would sate the boy's curiosity. "Well… like I said, he's got long, silver hair."

"Like Riku," the boy piped up.

Cloud gave Sora a sidelong glance. "…I guess. And his eyes are a bright aqua."

"Like Riku."

"He's tall… and pale…"

"Like Riku."

"He's… perfect."

"Like Riku."

The blonde snorted and raised an eyebrow, watching Sora intently. "He taught me how to swordfight."

"Like Riku did for me."

Cloud let his head drop back, resting it against the wall of the ship. "Ah… okay. He can be distant and cold sometimes, but underneath all that…," the blonde trailed off, rolling his hand.

"Like Ri—"

"Yeah, yeah, like Riku," Cloud snorted. He chuckled quietly and rolled his eyes. "Lemme guess, he's the strongest person _ever_ and was the General of the biggest army in the world?"

"No, of course not," the boy said. Cloud smirked. "He _was _the strongest person on Destiny Islands, even out of the _adults_, and kinda the leader of all the kids, though…"

The blonde grabbed at his hair and pulled it, hard. "Are you for real, Sora?"

"Yep!" he replied, flashing an incredibly cheesy grin.

__

[Because I feel like I stepped into some fucked-up alternate reality…]

"And this Riku… he's your Light?" The boy nodded sadly.

"Yeah… I lost him _and_ our friend Kairi, when the Heartless attacked our world…" Sora looked away, his face paling a bit. Cloud averted his eyes and pulled his legs closer to himself.

"Sorry, Sora…" The little brunette shook his hand dismissively.

"That's okay… I'll find 'em! I have to."

Cloud nodded and sighed. "I hope you do…," he said with a loud yawn. "Do you know how much longer this trip will take?"

"Uh uh," Sora replied, shaking his head. "You can nap, if you want. I'll wake you up when we get there."

"Thanks, kid."

"H'yuck! Almost there!" Goofy called out.

The blonde man groaned. "I didn't even get to sleep…"

The Gummi ship started to decelerate rapidly, tumbling Cloud forward and into the two front seats, laying in a heap on the floor. Sora gasped and unbuckled his safety belt, grabbing Cloud's arm and pulling him up. The ship bucked again and descended shakily before coming to a sudden stop, sending both spiky-heads to the ground.

Sora rubbed the top of his head, ruffling a few of his dark brown spikes, and the blonde unwittingly mimicked the action, making Goofy laugh. "Gawrsh, ya look like twins!" Cloud raised an eyebrow at the dog and looked at Sora. The boy was grinning again.

"Stop fooling around!" the disgruntled duck squawked, opening the door to the ship.

"We already docked?" Sora asked, standing shakily. The dog nodded, ears flopping wildly. A white-gloved hand proffered itself to Cloud, who promptly declined it. The boy pouted, but brightened up quickly as the four exited the tiny vessel.

Cloud was nearly blinded by the bright neon signs flanking the storefronts of Traverse Town, a stark contrast to the pitch-black, starless sky. He noticed that, despite the seemingly late hour, shops were open, customers wandering about carrying armfuls of shopping bags filled to the brim with provisions. Children were still playing in the cobblestone streets and alleyways, singing and running and screaming their little heads off.

Traverse Town looked as if it had no set manner of dress, people wearing garments of all types, whether it be classic olden-day dress, modern casual wear, leather and vinyl. Most were highly decorated and adorned with bracers, numerous belts, armor… but strangely, some even wore feathers and caps, definitely not casual in the least. Not to mention every inhabitant's hairstyles were drastically different, females with braided hair of all colors or cropped neatly, males with shaggy manes, spikes. A few highly coiffed styles were worn as well… it was very, very strange.

Not all of the town's inhabitants were human, the blonde noted, spotting several moogles near one shop just milling about, shouting 'kupo!' often in their high-pitched, squeaky voices. Cloud grinned and remembered 'Mog's Forest', a video game from the Golden Saucer… though the constant 'kupo!'-ing was grating after a while, it was fun nonetheless…

The blonde shook his head to knock away the thoughts of home… it was far too depressing…

He winced as he heard Donald complaining again, only this time - to Cloud's great relief - the attitude was directed at Goofy, who was promptly called an oaf for stepping on the duck's webbed foot. Quietly, ignoring the fight breaking out between his unusual teammates, the brown-haired boy simply watched as Cloud took in the many different sights of Traverse Town.

"What is this place?" the blonde asked, staring at a scarily tall, plump man loitering in front of an Accessory Shop.

"This," Sora gestured, swinging his arm outward, "is 'Traverse Town'. It's pretty much a sanctuary for refugees who've lost their homes to the Heartless."

"It's busy here," Cloud commented, watching a young couple trot by, hand-in-hand. "Are these people usually out this late…?"

The boy looked up at him, confused. "Uh… what do you mean?"

"It's dark," the blonde stated, pointing at the sky.

Cloud's statement clicked, and the boy replied, "oooh… well, see… it's always like this here. I dunno why… but you get used to it."

"Oh."

Sora bounced away, beckoning the blonde with him. "C'mon! I wanna stop at a few shops before I drop you off at Leon's."

"Who's Leon?" Cloud asked, taken off-guard. He didn't want to _impose_ on anyone in this town, friends of Sora's regardless. The blonde was never that kind of person; he lived too many years surviving on his own to start relying on others _now_.

The boy pulled open the door to a decent-sized red building, standing in front of a small flight of stairs. Cloud noticed the duck and the dog went into another shop, an item shop, the sandwich board sign out in front of the building stated.

Sora went in, greeting the store's owner before Cloud could get inside, "hi, Cid!"

__

[Cid…?! No way... it's a popular name…]

"Hey, ya little punk!" came the gruff reply, and immediately Cloud pushed Sora out of the way and froze, wide-eyed, staring at the familiar, rugged face. "You wanna buy… some… holy shit, I'm seein' a ghost…," the pilot murmured, raising his hand. He pulled at the flight goggles wrapped around his head and blinked, staring long and hard at the other, younger blonde.

Sora appeared to be confused, and rightly so. "Do you guys know each other…?"

"Cid… by Holy…" Cloud inched forward, looking him over. "Holy shit, Cid… I'm so glad to see you…," the younger man breathed, dumbstruck.

Cid came from behind the counter and clapped Cloud on his arm. He placed his hands on his hips and took a deep drag from his cigarette, smiling like crazy. "I didn't think ya made it out, kid. How long's it been since I saw ya?"

"Nearly a year, I think…," Cloud replied, sheepishly. "Oh!" He glanced at the confused teenage boy and shrugged. "From my world. We used to be comrades." Sora nodded slightly with a grin and walked over to a display counter, leaving the two blonde men alone.

"Hell, time's real screwed here. Been runnin' this shop for nine years now…" Cid trailed off, staring at Cloud. "Shit, kid, where the hell ya been? Don't see you for a helluva long time now you plop your spiky ass on my doorstep with the fuckin' Keyblade master!"

"_You_ know about the Keyblade master?" Cloud asked.

Cid raised an eyebrow, letting out a harsh laugh. "What, don't tell me ya didn't notice that big fuckin' _key_ the kid's got, hell, no one can miss _that_!"

"I did… but how do _you_ know about it? What's the key _do_?"

"Locks Keyholes. Keeps the damn Heartless out." He shook his head, still in disbelief. "Sorry, but… hell… girl's gonna be real happy to see you again, Spike."

Cloud's eyes went wide. "Wait… 'girl'? _Tifa_?! Is Tifa here, too?!"

He swallowed thickly as the blonde pilot winced, bracing himself for the inevitable bad news.

"Sorry, kid… the thief was with Tifa… when we were attacked." Cid sighed and patted the blonde's shoulder. "…Tifa… didn't make it out, Spike…"

"…oh…" he said weakly, blood draining from his face. "Wow…"

Cloud pressed his hand to his forehead, disbelievingly. _[…Tifa's… dead…?! That…]_ He never even considered that any of them could've died when the Planet was attacked, and especially not his childhood friend…

"You okay, kid?" Cid asked, taking the swordsman by the arm, setting him down on an overstuffed pink couch gracing the small shop before the blonde nearly passed out. "Ya need some… water… or somethin'?"

Cloud shook his head. "No… I'll be alright… I just didn't think… Tifa was a strong girl, you know?"

The pilot nodded, pulling another cigarette from his pack and popping it into his lips. "Yeah, she was. The thief said she was fightin' 'em right up 'til the end."

"Wait… does that mean _Yuffie's_ here with you, too?"

"Yup. Thank the gods I ain't got any Materia here," he said, completely serious as he gestured around the shop. Out of everyone, Cid was the one pissed off the most at the ninja for stealing their goods… Cloud thought he's have to put the blonde pilot in shackles just so he wouldn't harm the girl. Vincent managed to calm him down after a while, but it seemed that Cid still held a grudge after all that time…

Cloud paused, deliberating a moment before he ventured, "…is… there anyone _else_ here, Cid…?"

"Uh huh. You'll _never_ guess who, though."

Unwilling to get his hopes up - not that he thought his former teammates would have let Sephiroth into Traverse Town anyway, had he truly been alive - the blonde bit his bottom lip. "…who?" he asked, meekly.

"The flower girl."

Cloud's eyes shot open as his jaw dropped hard enough to nearly hit the floor. "_Aeris _is here?!"

"Ae_rith_," the pilot corrected.

A blonde eyebrow arched high in confusion-slash-amusement. "When the hell did you get a _lisp_?"

Cid blinked. "The _hell _you talkin' about, boy?"

Cloud looked at Cid incredulously. "You just said 'Aerith'." The pilot nodded slowly, acting as if the young warrior lost his mind.

"It's Ae_ris_."

"Oh!" Cid barked, slapping his forehead with a harsh laugh. "I getcha. Nah, see, she calls herself 'Aerith' here."

"Eh?"

The blonde pilot shrugged and crossed his arms. "I dunno either, Spike. Probably it's got somethin' to do with the past or somethin'… shit, she's gonna be so glad t' see you."

Cloud grunted his response. It wasn't that he didn't care that Aeris - no… _Aerith_ - was alive again… but he knew that she was going to try and be with him, and he didn't want that… but he didn't know how he could explain it to her. He had a feeling she knew about Sephiroth and himself, but the girl never spoke up about it, really… and he didn't want to outright reject her, either… but now that she was _alive_ again…

A spiky brown head popped up next to Cid, tapping the old man on the shoulder and snapping him back to reality. The pilot jumped, muttering obscenities as his rapidly-beating heart calmed down.

"Um… I'm ready to buy this stuff, if you guys are done talking," Sora announced rather meekly. Cloud nodded his head when Cid looked at him, silently asking for approval.

After ringing up Sora's purchases and taking his munny, the pilot spoke up again, and told - rather enthusiastically - that he was considering running a Gummi-exclusive shop instead of the Accessory Store.

…not that Cloud blamed him. Cid never really seemed the type to work with bangles and other such accessories… hell, the pilot even made fun of Cloud whenever he had Ribbon equipped.

Cid had offered the Accessory Store to Cloud to manage, but the other blonde declined. After all, he was no good at all with money matters… which he wasn't. He bought that villa in Costa del Sol for 300k gil, and he only stayed there what, three, four times…?

…and besides, Cloud had far more important things to worry about…

After several long minutes the two old friends said their goodbyes, and the spiky-heads walked out of the store, Cloud fingering his new - and complimentary - Protect Bangle.

"Uhm… sorry to hear about your friend," Sora started, sheepishly, scratching the back of his head, "I didn't mean to overhear…" Cloud shrugged. "Was she… your girlfriend…?"

The older man shook his head. "No, an old childhood friend," he replied softly.

"Oh." The boy bit his lip and looked up at Cloud with his big, blue eyes. "I know it's not easy losing a friend…," he said, patting Cloud's arm comfortingly. The man shrugged, letting out a ragged sigh.

He still couldn't believe it… how of all people, Tifa hadn't survived… the idea was crazy…

They made their way to the item shop next, which just-so-happened to be run by Donald's triplet nephews. Cloud was silently thanking any gods that would listen for the fact that the children were _nothing_ like their uncle… who was _still_ bickering with the clumsy dog after all that time.

After Sora made some more purchases, consisting mainly of Ethers and Hi-Potions, Donald and Goofy told them to just go on ahead to Leon's. Rather, Goofy did, because apparently, Donald 'didn't like' the way poor little Louie had stocked one of the higher shelves, therefore putting his argument with the six-foot tall on hold dog long enough to direct his bottle-restacking.

"I think you'll like Leon," Sora started, leading the way through First. "He's kinda quiet, though—oh, look! It's one of the moogle candles I told you about!" the boy exclaimed, pointing to a rather _large_ candle, flickering atop a wooden table in front of a simple-looking café.

Cloud chuckled at how easily distracted - not to mention _excitable_ - the boy was.

"Look, you can't snuff it without magic," he giggled, putting the flame out with wettened fingertips. And, sure enough, the flame flickered back to life some short seconds later. "Cool, huh?"

The blonde nodded, not really interested but polite all the same.

When Sora was finished screwing with the candles, they walked down a set of stairs and turned, passing by a moogle pacing madly in front of a tree and a highly over-decorated mailbox - which actually looked rather frightening with its large mouth and panting tongue.

Out of the blue, Sora smacked his forehead, letting out a grunt of disgust. "Oops! I'm bringing us the wrong way," he murmured, embarrassed. "That's District Three… we gotta go to Second District."

"Can we get to Second from Third?" Cloud asked, not quite in the mood for backtracking.

"Yeah, but there's lots of Heartless around, and without Donald and Goofy to help…," he trailed off, pouting. He snapped his fingers and smiled brightly at Cloud. "Unless _you_ wanna help…"

The blonde shrugged, taking the Buster Sword off his back. It was really no problem anyway for him, seeing as he had already fought numerous, even tougher Heartless than what he was expecting. "Alright."

The two ambled through the Third District, fighting random battles with Shadows, Soldiers and the occasional - and annoying - Large Body. Cloud was surprised when the boy took out the rather rotund Heartless all by himself after the blonde's attack was deflected by the creature's large, bouncy belly, and within minutes, quite a few enemies were defeated and left the victors 59 munny richer, all of which Cloud let Sora keep. After all, Sora was the one who had the most expenses, he figured, traveling from place to place.

Sora coughed and scratched the back of his head, blushing. "Y'know… it's a good thing we went through here instead of going through Second," the teen commented.

Cloud raised an eyebrow. "Why is that?"

The boy laughed nervously, stopping in front of a vacant-looking domicile and gesturing to it awkwardly. "…'cause this is Leon's house." Sora's blush deepened tenfold. "I'm not too good with directions…"

A clawed hand shot out and Cloud ruffled the boy's soft brown hair playfully… how cute.

Sora knocked briefly on the door before cracking it open tentatively, looking around. "…hello?"

A familiar, squeaky voice rang out, and Cloud grinned softly to himself. "Come in, Sora!"

The boy smiled brightly and stepped into the tiny house, waving. "Hey, Yuffie!" The ninja girl bounded towards the door, a huge smile plastered on her cherubic face, same as always, before she pulled the boy into a tight embrace and giggled.

"We were all worried about you!"

"…well look who it is, the 'Great Materia Hunter Yuffie'," Cloud teased, grinning wider now.

"Who the _hell_ do you… think… you're… Cloudy?!" the ninja shrieked, bouncing up and down, her dark eyes wide with surprised, barely containing her excitement as she jumped up and down, clapping her gloved hands. "By Leviathan, Cloud! Look at you!" she squealed gleefully.

Yuffie bounced again, quite energetically, before wrapping her slender arms around Cloud's neck to plant a kiss right on his - very surprised - lips. Quickly taking a step back, the Wutaian looked the red-faced blonde up and down, a finger pressed to her lips, and clicked her tongue. "what the heck didja do, raid Vinny's closet?" she asked with an ever-present sparkle in her eye.

"Ha ha, very funny," Cloud said dryly, his glowing Mako eyes giving the ninja a once over herself. "…where _are _your _clothes_, Yuf?" he asked, smirking, to which she stuck her tongue out and smacked his arm, playfully.

"Oh, quiet, you." Yuffie turned to face a confused-looking Sora. "Hey, how come yer here with him?" the girl asked.

The brown-haired boy smiled proudly. "I fought him in the tournament."

Yuffie's eyes went wide, brows raised impossibly high. "_Really_?" She smirked. "Well then, I hope you kicked Spikey's butt!" she chided, winking.

"Nah, he was too good."

"Of course he was, he worked with the Great Ninja Yuffie!" she giggled, flashing a victory sign. Cloud snorted and shook his head.

"Egotistical as always. So…," the man's eyes quickly scanned the small room, "…where is she…?"

Yuffie's tongue popped out of her mouth and curled up to her top lip as she thought, staring off into space. "Um… oh, _duh_!" She turned to Sora. "Hey, Aerith's at the 'Secret' Waterway with Squall, can you get 'em?"

The spiky-haired boy nodded obediently and said a short goodbye, leaving the ex-teammates alone. The ninja tilted her head, surveying the blonde with her big, dark eyes.

"She's gonna be happy to see ya, Cloudy-boy."

"So I've heard," he murmured. Gesturing to a couch in front of a large window, he asked, "can I sit?" Yuffie nodded, sitting herself on the bed across from Cloud, folding her legs beneath her.

The girl folded her hands in her lap and worried at her bottom lip, head lowered mournfully. "Um… d-did Gramps tell you?" she asked, voice hushed, and with a deep sigh, Cloud nodded. "I'm so sorry, Spikey…"

The blonde waved his clawed hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it, Yuffie…" He managed a small, regretful smile. "It was a definite shock, but… I can get over it… I always have."

The ninja girl rose from her perch and sat on Cloud's right side, resting her cheek on his shoulder, pulling him into a one-armed hug. "It's good to see you again, Cloudy. We were all worried about ya…" she said.

He brought a hand up, patting her on top of the head.

"Same to you, Yuf." The man let out a sigh, dropping his hand. "What've you been up to here, anyway?"

Yuffie pulled away from Cloud and perched on the couch's arm, her feet set on an overstuffed cushion. "I've been working with Sq—I mean, Leon." The girl giggled and leaned forward. "He's _really_ cute," she added, a playful gleam in her eye.

Cloud snorted and rolled his eyes. "Same old Yuffie, I see. What kind of work do you do?"

"Fight the Heartless, though Sora's been helping with that a lot, lately. We also kinda help the new refugees. There's a _lot_, if you didn't notice… and the sad thing is, more and more come in every day. It's nuts!" She tilted her head and smiled.

"How about you?"

Cloud licked his lips. "Ah…," his thoughts drifted briefly towards the wing on his back, and the blonde picked at a tattered edge of his mantle distractedly. "I really don't want to talk about it…" The ninja winced.

"Bad?"

The blonde nodded and leaned back, slumping into the couch. "Let's just say, things never go as planned, and you ultimately get screwed in the end."

Yuffie bit her lip, watching Cloud as the man tiredly covered his eyes with a gloved hand. "I guess an 'I'm sorry' won't make ya feel any better, huh?"

Cloud sighed. "Nope… I'm beyond simple 'I'm sorry's at this point." He kicked his leg out and scratched at his knee, refusing to look the girl in the eyes.

Yuffie took another look at the man's outfit and chuckled.

"You'll fit in perfectly here," she commented, poking at the numerous belts he was adorned with. Cloud gave her a questioning look, but she waved it off. "Oh… you'll see what I mean." Yuffie smiled brightly once more, the ever-energetic girl she was. "So, are you planning on staying in Traverse Town?"

"Yeah, for the time being, I guess I have to… Sora mentioned I could stay with that 'Leon' guy," he took a look around, "but… this place doesn't seem exactly _roomy_…"

Yuffie giggled, waving her hand. "Nah, this is really my place. This is kinda our makeshift 'base of operations', I guess. There's a couple rooms down that hall—" she pointed to a door Cloud hadn't noticed before, "—there. Aerith stays here with me, by the way."

She pushed a piece of stray hair out of her eyes as she continued. "But Leon's… well, you'll see. You'll… probably have to stay in the Hotel a while."

"I don't have any gil on me…"

"It's called 'munny' here!" the girl giggled.

The blonde snorted. "I don't think I can get used to _that_," Cloud joked.

"But the munny thing… um, I can lend you some, if you want… and you can just get a job and pay me back!"

"I shouldn't even _have_ to pay you back, you little materia thief," he said, elbowing her in the knee. She stuck her tongue out in response as the door to the house opened.

Cloud stood immediately as two emerald pools brimming with tears pinned him to the spot. "Hey, Aerith…" he murmured quietly, his own eyes just as wide as hers. So… she really _was_ alive…

The brown-haired girl shook her head, tears streaming down her face, tiny hands folded in front of her and completely white-knuckled. A brown-booted foot stepped forward and she whispered, "hello, Cloud."

Yuffie jumped up and latched onto Aerith's slender shoulders, giggling, nearly shaking the life out of the flower girl. "He's back, he's back, he's back!" the ninja cried, eyes sparkling.

"Who's back?" a deep male voice called out, stepping through the door.

Cloud's eyes went wide as a - _gorgeous_ - man walked through the door, head to toe in tight, black leather, belts, and many silver buckles. The man's hair was shaggy and a deep brown, framing his face perfectly. The scar that ran diagonally across his face only added to the man's allure somehow, situated neatly between steely blue eyes.

"_Spikey's_ back!" Yuffie giggled, releasing Aerith and bopping over to Cloud. The man sauntered in and leaned up against a far wall, one leg over the other, arms crossed. He looked absolutely bored with everyone and everything, and the blonde just… _adored_ it. The greyish-blue eyes ran up and down Cloud's form, making him blush under the scrutiny, finally stopping at his face to seemingly study the younger man and his motives.

Aerith took another couple steps forward, directly opposite from Cloud, and the blonde broke his gaze from the - very pretty - scarred man, turning it over to the flower girl and her expressive emerald eyes. Gingerly, the flower girl raised a delicate hand and placed it on Cloud's cheek.

As if convinced he was real, the pink-clad Cetra wrapped her arms around Cloud's chest, breaking down into sobs as she held him.

"I've missed you so much," she whispered, shaking like a leaf. Cloud lifted an arm and gently wrapped it around her shoulders, patting her arm.

"It's alright, Aerith." He turned his eyes up and sighed sadly.

__

[I knew she was going to do this… how can I… tell her that I **can't**…?]

Yuffie bit her lip and looked from Cloud, to Aerith, to Cloud, to Leon, to the floor, to Aerith, to Leon, and lastly, to the door. She frowned for a moment before asked, "hey, Leon… where's Sora?"

"I told him to go get the rest of his party and Cid," he answered, eyes never straying from the blonde stranger.

"Oh, right! That's Squall Leonhart, Cloudy-boy. Squall, meet Aerith's and my ex-leader, Cloud Strife."

The blonde furrowed his brow and opened his mouth to speak, but was abruptly interrupted by the shaggy-haired man. "It's just _Leon_."

Yuffie rolled her eyes. "Blah, blah, blah, Sq—Leon." She turned to Cloud and smirked. "He's just _crazy_, don't listen to him."

The blonde chuckled as Leon replied with a resounding, "…whatever."

Aerith shook her head and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, taking a calming breath. "I'm sorry, everyone," she apologized quietly, "I didn't mean to cry like that…" Her voice wavered still as she clarified, "I was very surprised is all."

"Shit, I never saw so many fuckin' pretty-boys in my entire life!" Cid barked, chuckling. He raised his eyebrows and looked directly at Cloud. "Well… 'cept maybe in the Northern Crater, before fightin' _Sephiroth_. That fuck's gotta count for at least _five _pretty-boys, then with you there… and _Vin_…"

Cloud shook his head, pushing the thought of Sephiroth and Valentine from his mind. After all, this was a reunion, and the two of them weren't there to share it… "…always the eloquent one, old man." The blonde pilot stuck another cigarette in his mouth and shrugged.

"Fuck you, SOLDIER-boy," he teased before jerking his chin in Aerith's direction. "She okay…?"

Aerith nodded. "I'm fine, Cid."

"Good. Don't want ya havin' a heart attack."

She playfully raised an eyebrow and pointed at the half-smoked cigarette dangling from his lips. "I think you should worry more about yourself." Cid shook his head, running a hand through his hair, letting the other fall to his hip.

"Is Sora coming soon?" Leon asked the pilot, blandly.

Cid nodded, obviously used to the younger man's attitude. "Yup. Had to get the dog and the bastard duck."

A sudden dizzy spell flooded through Cloud as his knees buckled, making him collapse onto the couch. The flower girl rushed to his side, placing a cool palm on his forehead. Her emerald eyes flooded with concern and she asked, "are you feeling well, Cloud?"

"Yeah… I just think I need to rest for a while…"

"I'll let you sleep in my room. Is that alright with everyone?" Aerith asked, taking Cloud by the arm. There were no objections as she led him to her room, laying him gently on her bed. She kissed him politely on the forehead and gave a little smile as the man passed out, extremely exhausted with the day's events.

The pink-clad woman shut the door behind her, leaving Cloud in total darkness before she walked back into the main room, just in time for Sora and his animal teammates to step in, all of them completely unaware they were being watched by both Riku and Maleficent.

----------------------

__

A/N: Chapter revised 5/09/04. Fixed a few inconsistencies, added ::coughs:: almost 3000 words… seriously, LACK OF DESCRIPTION, people! And I didn't realize I had so little clarification half the time for their actions… and stuff… so yes. And Seph was still OOC to me… but was getting gradually better… anyway.

::snickers:: Sephiroth reading het porn… that idea **still** amuses me. I am a sad, sad girl. XD


	5. Part Four

****

Part Four

__

Everything I am and everything in me  
Wants to be the one you wanted me to be.  
I'll never let you down even if I could,  
I'd give up everything if only for your good.  
------------------

The ship drifted from Hollow Bastion for what seemed like hours, rocking and swaying with each strong surge of the ocean - and luckily for both Riku and Sephiroth, neither suffered from seasickness as the heavy boat rose and fell, back and forth, side to side as it sailed…

The two shared a cabin - at Riku's request - in the lower part of the ship, and simply relaxed on their respective hammocks as the trip progressed. The silver-haired teen was utterly distant and much more quiet than usual, Sephiroth noted with a tinge of worry. Though he supposed it was justified…

He concluded that Riku's inattention must have had something to do with that girl from earlier - Kairi, the boy called her - but Sephiroth hadn't questioned Riku about it. After all, he could read people well enough to know that the teen had _no_ intention of speaking to him about it… or at least, not unless he absolutely had to, if that time ever came.

Their cabin was too bare, completely wooden, decorated - if it could be called that, as Sephiroth highly doubted it was for aesthetic value… - only with coils of molding rope and several barrels filled with clean drinking water. Inside the room was damp, all in thanks to the uncovered portholes, allowing the sea mist to drift in as the boat was slammed by waves in the choppy water…

…but, the state of the room aside, it wasn't entirely unpleasant on the open sea, at least not to Sephiroth. There was something about the soft, salty smell of the cool air over the open ocean that relaxed him considerably, despite his admitted worry over his companion.

Riku had his leg slung over the side of his hammock, laying with his arms behind his head. Sephiroth was simply sitting on his, watching the boy as he stared off into space, listening to the creaking boards of the ship as it drifted.

Sighing, the man stood and walked to one of the portholes, looking out at the dark blue ocean and the clear, nearly starless midnight sky. He took a deep breath of the salty midnight air and frowned… the water somewhat reminded him of Cloud's eyes with the way it glittered, the dim lights from the boat glittering on the surface… it had been such a long time since he saw the blonde with his eyes and his _alone_…

Without warning, Captain Hook's right-hand-man, Mr. Smee, burst into the door, rousing Sephiroth from his thoughts.

"We're gonna stop for a moment," he said, his voice stuffy and squealing. The man was short and stout, dressed in dirty clothes too small for his ample frame, and frighteningly timid. It was strange… who ever heard of a timid _pirate_? "M… Ms. Maleficent needs to see you, sir," Smee stuttered, addressing Riku directly.

"Go away," the boy replied, irritated, not even bothering to lift his head.

Smee shuffled his feet uncomfortably. "Um. 's urgent, sir."

Riku growled and slid off his hammock, feet quietly landing on the planks of wood. "_Fine_."

Sephiroth turned to go with them, but was abruptly stopped by the portly servant's shaky hand. The pirate shook his head hastily, looking more than intimidated by the towering ex-General every second.

"Y-you stay here, sir." Sephiroth glowered.

"Fine."

With a short nod, Mr. Smee quickly shuffled the teen out of the room, closing and locking the door behind him. Sephiroth growled; he hated the way he was kept in the dark about the goings-on around him… he hated the way he always had to stay behind when they sent Riku off to places unknown, using the boy for whatever reason… but most of all, Sephiroth hated how he couldn't _leave_.

And… he _still_ didn't know why he was growing so _fond_ of Riku, despite the obvious striking similarity of looks and personality.

He didn't feel as if he was related to the boy in any way, of course… 

/No… not a sibling, I **have** no family… and he couldn't possiblybe my **son**… I've **strictly** been with men…/ Sephiroth smirked, chuckling quietly to himself, _/unless there's a bit about Cloud that I failed to notice, of course./_

Sephiroth sobered, scratching his chin thoughtfully as he turned back to the porthole. It was more like Riku was a miniature version of himself, actually, like the teen was an underage… clone…

/…could Hojo have done something…?/ He pushed that idea away as suddenly as it came._ /No. Hojo is dead and gone… and an inept scientist to boot. None of the other clones were successful, and Riku is nothing like those atrocities…/_

The ex-General continued staring out into the ocean as he went on with his musing, _/besides… I've just arrived in this world, and that man was too blinded by his own madness to discover places outside of the laboratory, let alone outside of the Planet…/_

Sephiroth frowned, drumming his fingers against the edge of the porthole.

__

/Perhaps Valentine…?/

He let his thoughts drifted to the ebony-haired, crimson-eyed gunman he remembered traveling with Cloud back then… with that man, Sephiroth knew there was _something_, some sort of… _link_… a connection between the two of them. He knew it had something to do with Hojo, and most likely Jenova, but… there was something else…

Valentine wasn't a clone, Sephiroth knew that much for certain. He couldn't sense the abundance of alien cells in the former Turk's body, nor could he telepathically reach out for him… but the man's face looked pained when in that battle with his final inhuman form, Sephiroth remembered. Vincent looked to be grieving something, wearing a similar expression to Cloud's… it was very strange, fighting that one.

After all, Sephiroth had never even _met_ the man before…

With a small sigh, Sephiroth shook his head. _/…this is not about me, this is about Riku./_

But whatever the case was, Sephiroth didn't feel that _same_ unspoken connection between himself and Riku as he had with Vincent. Sephiroth couldn't deny, though, that there _was_ something which he was unable to put his finger on, and it made him completely frustrated for not being able to pinpoint it. He should have been able to see it, whatever it was… it was probably something blatantly obvious as well…

Sephiroth grunted dourly.

This was something he wasn't prepared - nor _wanted_ - to deal with at the moment.

__

/Perhaps it's just simple attraction…,/ Sephiroth contemplated, _/he **is** rather beautiful…/ _He buried his face in his hands.

/Then why do I keep **dwelling** on this?/

His glowing aqua eyes rolled upwards, staring at a little knothole in the ceiling of the cabin, all of a sudden feeling depressive and wan.

/Why… it's obvious… because I'm **lonely**./ Sephiroth chuckled humorlessly to himself at the whining, unexpected sentiment._ /Who knew the cold, distant General could **ever** feel lonesome? Oh, what ShinRa would think of me now…/_

The silver-haired man sighed, pressing a palm to his forehead.

__

/…unfortunately, it holds a sense of truth… I need **Cloud**… my 'Light'…/ Sephiroth snapped his head towards the door of the small cabin. _/The **boy** needs his Light./_

Fed up and frustrated, Sephiroth let the matter drop, deciding finally that the so-called 'connection' between the two of them was simply due to their many similarities, nothing else. Kindred spirits. Yes.

/And nothing more./

Sephiroth made a fist and began pacing in the chamber, briefly wondering how long Riku had been gone and when he would get back. He _wanted_ to talk to the boy some more, perhaps this time about Kairi, and would do so whether Riku wanted to or not. After all, he hadn't said much at all about the girl, other than the fact that they were friends.

With nothing better to so, the leather-clad warrior made his way to one of the hammocks and drifted off to sleep.

He didn't know how long it was he slept when Riku walked in, sword in hand, inadvertently waking Sephiroth up with his heavy steps against the floorboards. The boy looked absolutely furious as he randomly swung the weapon around in angered swipes, muttering and swearing under his breath.

__

/…that's not the same weapon he used before./

The new sword Riku wielded was dark, a wicked shape reminiscent of a demon's wing, sharp-looking and extremely deadly, not to mention of a type which Sephiroth had _never_ seen before.

Its blade was rather long and pointed, pitch black with threads of red woven throughout it like veins. The hilt had a jewel imbedded in the hub which vaguely resembled a glowing green dragon's eye… it was a very strange weapon indeed…

__

/…where could he have possibly received that…?/

Sephiroth raised an eyebrow as he watched over Riku, the teen violently thrusting the sword into an invisible opponent, twisting it sharply before he retracted the blade.

"Something on your mind?"

Riku jerked abruptly, snapping his head up as he lowered his weapon. "Oh. I didn't know you were up."

"I wasn't." Sephiroth threw his long legs over the side of the hammock and sat up, hands folded in his lap, "but I didn't need the sleep anyway." He knitted his eyebrows together and gestured toward the new sword. "Mind telling me what that is?"

"My other sword," the teen replied shortly. He absently ran a hand through his silky silver hair as he heedlessly tossed the sword to the ground. Catching sight of the older man's gaze, Riku raised his eyes and snapped, "_what_?"

"You tell _me_."

"Don't worry about it."

Sephiroth arched an eyebrow once more but said nothing, reverting to simply studying the boy as he paced feverishly back and forth, feet thumping heavily on the creaking wooden floorboards. Riku cast occasional glances at the older man, the looks gradually forming into glares as time wore on.

When he finally stopped pacing, Riku crossed his arms in front of his chest and bore his eyes into Sephiroth's. "Stop fucking staring," he bit out harshly, admonishing the older man through gritted teeth. The silver-haired man steepled his fingers and tilted his head, watching Riku in silence.

"You feel different," Sephiroth calmly observed after a short while, his gaze never straying from the teen. Riku bristled.

"Shut up."

Sephiroth pursed his lips before crossing his legs, switching easily back over to silence. He watched as the teen turned and ripped the top off one of the barrels, scooping up a quick handful of water to drink before repeating the process, this time splashing a bit of it onto his reddened cheeks.

When he was through, Riku shoved the top of the barrel hastily back into place and resumed his fevered pacing.

"What's wrong?" Sephiroth demanded minutes later, the stretch of silence gone on for far too long.

"Nothing," came the hissed reply.

"Mm," Sephiroth arched an eyebrow, "you can't lie to me, Riku." The teen sneered at him, but again stayed deathly silent until Sephiroth heaved an aggravated sigh, taking a shot in the dark.

"Is this about that girl, Kairi?"

Immediately Riku stopped dead in his tracks and stiffened, balling his fists at his sides, eyes glazing over as he firmly set his jaw.

"As I suspected." The ex-General flicked a piece of hair behind his ear and implored, "what happened?"

Riku shivered at the tone in the man's voice. It was calm yet demanding, and the teen knew the Sephiroth wasn't going to let the subject drop until he gave an honest answer.

"She…" Riku sighed defeatedly and murmured, "…she… lost her heart…"

"…how?"

The boy shrugged, arms dangling lifelessly at his sides. "I don't know. Maleficent said that the Heartless took it… but…" Riku trailed off, looking away distractedly.

"So that means she's dead…?"

Riku shook his head before he slumped down to the splintery floor, pulling his legs to his chest. "No, she's more like… a lifeless puppet. She's just this hollow shell…"

__

/'Puppet'./ Sephiroth flinched at the word.

/"You are just a puppet… you have no heart… and cannot feel any pain…"/ He groaned inaudibly at the words he said to his 'puppet' so long ago, the phrase still so fresh in his mind.

"…is there any way to remedy this?"

The boy bit his lip literally hard enough to draw blood, which Sephiroth noticed only after he wiped the bright red fluid away with the back of one hand. "I don't know… there's 'princesses' that can be used to open a door to 'the heart of all worlds', or so Maleficent says…"

Confusion passed through Riku's face as he hesitantly added, "then she gave me the power to…" The teen sighed and rolled his hand on his wrist, "to… control the Heartless…"

__

/So that's why he feels different…!/

"She _what_?! Why?" Sephiroth asked angrily. "What is that witch _doing_ with you, Riku?"

"I don't know." Riku shook his head slowly. "But what I _do_ know is that Kairi's in trouble, and Sora… Sora doesn't even seem to _care_."

The older one frowned. "What makes you believe that?"

"Well… when I left earlier, I had to go get this puppet. Really. With a heart." Riku snorted, "I know it sounds weird, but he really _did_ have one. I mean… he _must_ have, since he was more alive than…," he licked his bottom lip, "than Kairi…"

"I'm sorry." Riku waved dismissively.

"It isn't your fault, so don't apologize." The boy crinkled his nose in disgust. "Okay, I had to get the puppet… as usual, Sora was there…"

Sephiroth frowned slightly but let the teen continue uninterrupted.

"…and Sora started to yell at him for fuckin' around, basically." Riku also frowned, scratching his head as he continued. "And for some reason, I just… felt playful… and decided to taunt him like I did when we were back on Destiny Islands… so, took the puppet and ran."

The teen rolled his eyes at Sephiroth's admonishing glance, "yeah, it was against better judgment, I know, but… it'd been a while since I screwed with him," the boy smirked. "It was childish, but… okay, I started a game of 'hide and seek', pretty much."

Sephiroth raised his eyebrow and smiled thinly, partially amused at the revelation. "During a mission?"

The silver-headed boy chuckled and waved his hand. "I know, I _know_." Riku quickly turned serious as he went on, "well, when he found me, he started yelling. Basically it was a challenge, so - naturally - I yell back." Riku shook his head disdainfully.

"I love the kid to death, but he _still_ knows how to get my back up.

"Okay, so I ran off again, but then some freak Heartless stole the damn puppet from me! …and then Sora and I fought side by side - for different reasons, of course." Riku smiled a bit, looking somewhat proud. "He's gotten a _lot_ better at fighting since then, but he's still not as good as I am," the teen added, smugly.

Sephiroth smirked. "I believe we who have silver hair will always be supreme to our counterparts in that respect," he joked, and Riku chuckled at the statement.

"Yeah, probably." The younger one's face turned serious. "Anyway… after that fight, I asked him to help me. I thought he would, you know? I mean, I _told_ him what happened to Kairi, but he refused…" Riku raked a hand through his hair and frowned. "He said something really weird, too…"

"Oh?" Sephiroth tilted his head to the side. "What did he say?"

The boys frown deepened. "…that I was on the wrong side… but… how am I on the wrong side…?" Riku asked, brows furrowed. "I mean… I'm the one who's trying to save Kairi here…" The teenager's face reddened as he went on, "she's friends with _both_ of us, and _I'm_ the one actually helping when he's off _screwing_ around!"

"Riku…"

He shook his head dismissively. "Well anyway… after all that I came back here and talked to Maleficent, then came to see you."

Sephiroth placed an elbow on his knee, bracing his head on his palm as he implored, "why did you come to see me instead of staying with your friend?"

"What, the heartless _puppet_?" Riku asked sarcastically. "Sorry, Seph, but just in case you didn't know, people who have no hearts don't exactly make great conversationalists."

The older one sat stilly in his hammock, intently watching the boy as he calmed down. There were so many things Sephiroth wanted to ask, but couldn't find it in himself to do so. It was like even the littlest things set Riku off, his reaction sometimes so extreme to even the most trifling of events, and Sephiroth didn't want to upset him even more than he already was…

Riku's age was what the man really noticed. The teen was mature, for the most part, and strong as well, hard-headed, but had an underlying innocence about him which Riku seemed to want to shake.

Sephiroth was skeptical about Riku's claim of loving Sora - of _truly _loving him - but only because the silver-haired teen seemed so emotionally detached sometimes, vacant instead of dreamy as a teenager in love _should_ be, and always so _angry_…

Not to mention that whenever Riku returned from Maleficent's little 'errands' - all of which, it seemed, involved the other boy somehow - he was always even _more_ upset…

…it didn't make any _sense_.

/But why is that so, Riku…?/

The teen felt the older man's eyes on him, _watching_ him again, and he couldn't help but fidget uncomfortably. "What do you want _now_?"

"How do you really feel?"

Riku's eyes glanced up at Sephiroth through his lashes, head down. "The hell are you talking about?"

The man stood and moved, crouching in front of the other silver-hair, and asked gently, "how do you feel, _honestly_, about your friend Sora?"

"…I love him," came the simple reply. Sephiroth cupped Riku's chin is his hand, lifting the boy's face to get his attention. Aqua met aqua as the older one gazed deep into the Riku's eyes, startlingly similar to his own - only Riku's were more… _human_.

"Do you?"

Riku brought his brows together quizzically. "Yes."

The ex-General tilted his head. The boy was telling the truth, he could sense that much for sure, but there was still something wrong…

"And does he know, Riku?"

"…I don't know, " came the hushed response.

"Hm." Sephiroth got up and walked to one of the portholes, once again watching the glittering water.

Both stayed silent for a long while, Sephiroth staring inattentively through the porthole as Riku picked at his shoelaces, the two of them lost in their own - mournful - thoughts.

After a minute, the older man breathed in a lungful of fresh ocean air before he exhaled it, slow and indulgently, then ventured, "is that why you're always so upset?"

Riku looked up at the other man's back as he stared out the window. "What do you mean?"

"When you return from these 'missions' involving that boy, you're always angered at something he's done. Why is that?"

The silver-haired teen brushed a wayward lock hair from his eyes, the expression on his face clearly saying he was deep in thought. He silently mused, eyes never leaving the ex-General, chewing contemplatively on his lower lip as he thought.

"…I guess because he… acts like that stupid Keyblade's more important to him than me and Kairi, the same with that stupid dog and duck." He frowned, deep creases etched into his forehead. "He's changed… he was always the compassionate one, but… it just seems that now he cares more for _strangers_ than… me."

"And you feel as if he doesn't love you?"

"He never said he did," the boy responded quickly, a hint of sadness in his voice. "We… were never… you know…"

"…never…?"

Riku sighed heavily and crossed his arms. "We were never really… together… like _that_. I _tried_ to tell him what I wanted…" The silver-haired man stayed silent in contemplation as Riku went on. "I had the _perfect_ opening, too, Seph. I _had_ it, then I turned it into a fucking _joke_ because he looked _so_ _confused_…"

Sephiroth turned around, silver hair falling past his shoulders as he gave Riku a sympathetic look. "You thought you scared him?"

The teen laughed sadly. "Yeah, I mean, wouldn't _you_ be if your best friend basically tells you outright that he's _gay_ and wants to share his _life_ with you?" He shook his head. "I don't even _have_ to think… I _know_ he was scared. He's… you know… naïve…"

"And after all that, you still consider him your 'Light'?"

Riku nodded. "Of course. The way I figure it, even if I'm not _his_, he's still _mine_." The boy tilted his head and blinked. "Because… I don't think I could live _without_ him."

"And he doesn't know this…," Sephiroth trailed off, gaze trailing back to the porthole. The teen frowned.

"Why did you ask that, anyway?"

__

/…because I never told **him** how I felt, did I? I was a coward who didn't take that chance…/ "No particular reason."

Mr. Smee knocked sharply on the door and abruptly flung it open, face a greasy, fiery red. "Everybody on deck!" he shouted, "we've got _company_!"

The teen grabbed his lethal sword and made his way out the door. Sephiroth followed closely behind.

They walked through the boat's dank corridors and climbed up ladders, neither one quite aware of their way through the maze of a ship. Pirate Heartless cowered before Riku, even as the boy simply stepped past without casting them a second glance. He didn't seem to notice, but Sephiroth had. There was something quite unsettling about the entire situation - the Heartless weren't _that_ scared of the boy before.

__

/Of course not… you understand what it's like,/ the ex-General mused,_ /now that he has the power to control them, as a consequence, he has the power to utterly destroy them…/_

Sephiroth hadn't anticipated the amount of Heartless flanking the rails when they reached the ship's deck, and definitely not the other sight he saw. Captain Hook and his pudgy second-in-command stood before a small teenager with wildly spiked brown hair, the former holding a thin rapier at the young one's throat. The boy's deep sapphire eyes were wide as he struggled against the Heartless restraining him, occasionally lashing out at the ones who held his arms.

The silver-haired man raised an eyebrow at the boy's highly decorated - and very _bright_ - red outfit, adorned with numerous chains, the links of which in the shape of a crown. Almost immediately he knew who the teenager was when Riku's face paled upon catching sight of the younger teenager, but quickly regained his color as he stepped right into the middle of the fray.

Deciding he would probably be more of a distraction than welcome, Sephiroth simply headed towards the sidelines, arms crossed, and sighed in mild annoyance as the ocean breeze rustled the bluish-black plumage of his wing, but said nothing as he watched.

"I didn't think you'd come, Sora," Riku murmured with a hint of disappointment in his words - Sephiroth easily chalked it up to their earlier conversation. The brown-haired teen gasped as Riku spoke and struggled harder against the Heartless. "Good to see you again."

Sora pouted, lower lip jutting out rather comically in such a serious situation. The boy was rather cute, Sephiroth supposed… not to mention his hairstyle and eyes sort of reminded Sephiroth of Cloud's…

"Where are Donald and Goofy?" the small brunette demanded, still attempting to pull his arms away. The silver-haired teen sighed heavily.

"Are they _that_ important to you?" Riku asked, aqua eyes flashing, "more important than _old friends_?" The older teen narrowed his eyes, nearly spitting out his next words. "Instead of worrying about _them_, you _should_ be worrying about _her_!" the teenager shouted, sidestepping swiftly to point behind himself at small, red-headed form Sephiroth - somehow - hadn't noticed before.

The girl was slumped over, head lolled off to the side, and propped up only by a wooden box labeled 'PROVISIONS' instead of her own will. She didn't look good at _all_… her violet eyes were open, at least, but half-lidded and glazed, her thin arms hanging lifelessly in her lap. There was no spark of life at all in her tiny, pretty form to speak of, made even more apparent by the thin lines of drool which led from the corner of her mouth all the way to her chin, her hair hanging limp in her face.

…and at the sight, Sora looked heartbroken. "Kairi!" he shouted, kicking and pulling at his captors.

Riku crossed his arms, looking down contemptuously at the brown-haired boy. "That's right. When you were off goofing around, _I_ finally found her."

Sora struggled harder against the Heartless and finally managed to break one arm free until Captain Hook intercepted, pulling back his rapier to block the brunette with his hooked hand.

"Not so fast," the pirate sneered, nose sniveling, "no shenanigans aboard my vessel, _boy_." The Heartless easily regained their hold on Sora as tears made their way to his eyes.

"Riku," the young brunette began, voice shaky and desperate, "why are you siding with the _Heartless_?!"

__

/He **cares**, Riku… **look** at him…/

"The Heartless obey _me_ now, Sora," the silver-haired teen responded with a sigh. "Now I have nothing to fear."

"You're _stupid_! Sooner or later they'll swallow your heart!"

Riku winced as Sora said the words, but his face again pinched, turning stony as he retorted with a maddening confidence, "not a chance. My heart's too strong."

"Riku…," the smaller boy breathed, pleadingly. Sephiroth growled to himself, Riku's attitude both disturbing and exasperating at the same time.

"I've picked up a few other tricks as well," the older boy murmured, dropping a hand back. "Like this, for instance."

Sephiroth gaped as a green light surrounded the older teen, emanating from his heart to rest right in the palm of his hand. Riku made a fist and pulled his arm backward, uncurling his fingers as his arm fully extended, palm extended straight towards Sora.

To Sephiroth's amazement, Darkness bubbled up underneath the brunette's feet and undulated before sliding out and upwards, slowly forming a perfect, solid black copy of Sora. Despite the shadow's color, it was a perfect replica of the boy with exception of its large, glowing yellow eyes. It was sickening.

Riku sighed and placed his hands on his hips, satisfied. "You can go see your _friends_ now."

Suddenly, a hidden hatchway opened underneath Sora's feet and the Heartless released his arms, dropping him down into one of the ship's many holds. Sephiroth was growing more and more surprised at the way Riku had treated the boy he supposedly loved. 

__

/Something is very wrong here…/

The silver-haired boy made an unreadable face, his shoulders slumping forward as he turned to Captain Hook. "Let's get under way, already," he ordered quietly. As an afterthought, he added, "and keep Sora away from Kairi until we're ready to land…"

Riku walked over to Sephiroth and closed his eyes, holding up a placating hand. "I know what you want to say. Just don't." He turned his head around and addressed Captain Hook once more. "Put Kairi in a hold somewhere, alright? And lock the door."

The ex-General pursed his lips and roughly grabbed Riku's upper arm. "Come with me," he demanded coldly, not giving the teen a chance as he dragged him off to the cabin they shared.

"Leave me alone!" Riku shouted, pulling frantically at the older man's solid grip. "Let me _go_!"

"Be quiet. You're coming with me and you are _going _to explain what is wrongwith you, Riku."

"NO! Get the _FUCK _off me, Sephiroth!" Riku spat angrily, landing a solid kick on the back of the taller one's thigh.

Sephiroth didn't flinch.

"You're lucky I'm not carrying you, Riku, be thankful for that at least," the man muttered under his breath as he flung the door to their cabin open. Sephiroth threw the boy to the floor and slammed the portal shut, glaring down at him. "Now tell me… what the HELL is _wrong_ with you, treating him like that?!"

Riku, in return, glared up at Sephiroth. "Fuck you."

The man remained stoic as he towered above the other's prone form. Sephiroth crossed his arms slowly, his wing extending before refolding itself and stated, "I've killed for less, Riku. Do _not_ be insubordinate with me or I _will_ use force."

The teen's face faltered a bit at how coldly the words were spoken and bit his lip to fight back a sneer.

"Leave me alone," Riku glowered.

Sephiroth took in a deep breath, his chest puffing up proudly, and Riku couldn't deny that the man was simply menacing, despite his seemingly emotionless expression. "Well?"

Slowly Riku lowered his head, shamed. "What the hell do you want from me, Seph? You heard what he said…"

"And I agreed with every word. You acted like a _child_, Riku. I thought you were better than that, but I suppose I was wrong."

Pained aqua eyes gazed upward, threatening tears. "It isn't _fair_."

"Nothing is ever fair, Riku. That is a simple fact of life. No matter what you do, no matter what you accomplish, no matter how much it _hurts_, that's how it will always be." Sephiroth reached up to brush an errant lock of hair over his armored shoulder. "What you did was not right. It's inexcusable."

The teen scowled again. "Shut up."

"Did you not see what you did? You made a _copy_ of that boy. A complete replica, using those damned powers that witch 'granted' you with. _Why _did you do that? It is malicious, Riku, you know damn well it _can _and _will _hurt that boy." Riku's eyes narrowed, turning away. "You said you _love_ that boy."

"I _do_ love him!" Riku shouted, face red with anger, "I _do_ love him, and he _doesn't care _about me! He cares more about those fucking _things_, and he doesn't give a shit about _Kairi_, either! _I'm_ the one doing all the work, and what do _I_ get out of it?! **_Nothing_**! My best friend hates me and my other friend is practically fucking dead, and now I'm getting shit from _you_!" The teenager took in a heavy, angered breath and lowered his voice. "I thought that, of _all_ people, _you'd_ be the one to understand."

Sephiroth stiffened. "What are you talking about?"

The boy shook his head, quieting further. "You're chastising me for exploiting powers when you did the _same_ _damn_ _thing_."

"Be quiet."

"You _used_ Cloud for your own _gain_. You **_manipulated _**the man himself when all **_I _**did was conjure up an image. How can you _dare_ judge _me _for what _I've _done when _you've_ done even **_worse_**?" Riku tightened his jaw, shaking with anger. "You _knew _Cloud loved you, and that he _still _loves you, but you still used hi—"

"That is _enough_! I do _NOT _have to subject myself to your accusations!" Sephiroth shouted, Mako eyes glowing brightly. "Trust, I am _well _aware of what I have done. And I have, since that time, regretted _every single thing _I subjected Cloud to," he added, absolutely seething, totally unaware of how close he leaned over the younger man, one finger pointed inches from the younger one's face.

Riku slapped the man's hand away from himself and stood up, fists clenched so tightly at his sides they shook. "Then do _not_ play righteous with me. We've both done things we regret. We're one in the same, Sephiroth, and you know that I will NOT be deterred from this path until I achieve greatness."

The boy's voice had become deeper and deeper as he went on, but the older man hadn't noticed until the very last sentence when the tone was at its deepest. Riku's eyes flashed amber for a bare moment before quickly returning to their natural state. Sephiroth stepped back to stare.

"_What_ did you say?"

Riku shook his head and blinked, bringing a hand up to his forehead. "I was… just ranting to you about Kairi and Sora, and… I'm… sorry…" The teen frowned as Sephiroth continued to stare questioningly at him. "…what?" 

__

/What indeed…/

"…Seph… can I…?"

Suddenly, Riku reached up, placing his black-gloved hands on the back of the taller one's head, gently lowering him as he looked deep into Sephiroth's eyes.

"Riku, are you alright…?"

The teen lifted himself onto his toes, gaining those few needed inches to close the gap between Sephiroth's lips and his own, pulling the older man into a tender kiss.

It was startling at first, but Sephiroth couldn't bring himself to push Riku away.

Unconsciously, the ex-General closed his eyes and slid his hands down, placing them on the boy's slight waist to pull him forward. He was losing himself in the moment, wrapped up in the teen's gentle touch, the inexperienced, youthful enthusiasm infinitely enticing, Riku's fingers in his hair and lightly stroking his wing, enjoying the sensation of that slender, healthy body beneath his hands…

…Sephiroth wanted more of that sweetness when the smaller one pulled away far too soon.

The man frowned and looked into the Riku's eyes, the anguish and inner turmoil he was dealing with throughout the whole ordeal rising to the surface, and the silver-haired warrior wanted nothing more than to take it all away. He knew what it was like to feel alone and hopeless, discarded, disposable… used for nothing but someone else's gain…

So the taller man bent forward, once again pressing his lips into the Riku's.

__

/But… why am I **doing **this?/

Sephiroth slid a hand up the boy's back, the leather easily gliding over the smooth material, feeling the teenager's firm muscles on the palm of his hand. It kept going up, stopping momentarily to massage the crook of his neck before creeping up, burying itself in the Riku's soft, glittering hair. His other arm snaked firmly around the teen's waist, pulling him close to Sephiroth's body, their mouths meshed harder together, and moved a thigh to brush it between Riku's legs.

__

/…he's too much like me at that age… I'm probably even his first…/

The silver-haired man drew the younger one's lower lip into his mouth, lightly playing with it with his teeth as he ran the tip of his tongue along the soft, pliant tissue, and Riku whimpered lightly, parting his lips.

/…this is disgusting…/

Riku held fast to Sephiroth and gently coaxed him down with him onto the floor, both of them kneeling, and the teen leaned into Sephiroth, opening his mouth. He let his tongue slip past the teenager's lips and into his mouth, caressing and teasing Riku's own.

__

/Gods, this is so… **wrong**… he's too young, and just like **me**…/

Both of them moaned, enjoying every second they spent with black-gloved hands buried in silver hair and bodies molded together, their lips forming an air-tight seal, breathing hard and ragged. Back and forth, mouth to mouth, tongues passed and shared as much of each other as they could.

__

/This needs to stop./

Riku's hand slipped from Sephiroth's neck and moved down, touching lightly the man's chest before venturing farther still, stopping at the man's backside. He writhed in Sephiroth's grip, letting his body act purely on animal instinct as he rubbed himself into the older one's groin and let out a needy vocalization.

__

/You're taking advantage of this boy in the state he's in, you're well aware of that…/

Sephiroth pulled away from the kiss and nuzzled into the boy's neck, kissing lightly up and down Riku's throat, pausing only to lap at the exposed flesh in his path.

"…oh… Seph…"

Riku tilted his head back and moaned softly before leaning in to capture the Sephiroth's lips again, eagerly plunging his tongue into his mouth, pressing harder into his body. Both of them breathed harshly through their noses, gasping for air as their faces reddened with the effort.

__

/He's as old as Cloud was when he… and I… when we first…/

Sephiroth's eyes snapped open at the realization and promptly withdrew his tongue from the teen's mouth, to Riku's great dismay.

__

/I… can't do this… Cloud…/

He stopped kissing back, the name ringing loudly in his ears.

__

/**CLOUD**./

Sephiroth pulled away entirely then, sighing breathlessly with a shake of his head. When Riku leaned in again, Sephiroth held the boy away at arm's length with a hand on each of the teen's shoulders.

"…what's wrong?"

"I can't do this," the older man whispered, hurriedly getting to his feet.

"Why not…?"

Sephiroth shook his head, painfully aware of that dull throbbing in his lap as he sat down on one of the hammocks. It was greatly uncomfortable, yes, and he would prefer relief… but…

"…no. I _can't_."

Riku crawled forward and sat in front of the older man, resting his hands high on Sephiroth's thighs. "But _why_?"

The older man's breath hitched in his throat at the touch before taking the boy by the wrists and moving his hands away. "I have Cloud, Riku. He's still waiting for me, wherever he is… it isn't right."

"You should know by now I barely know what's right anymore… I'm lonely, Seph…," Riku whispered, gazing up at him imploringly. "Just like you are… I _know_ you are… we can make each other less…"

"No… I'm sorry."

"Seph, please…"

Sephiroth bit down on his lip, swallowing the lump which formed in his throat. "No. I would only be using you, and I will _not_ do that to you, Riku. I've been used too much in my life to subject anyone else to that anymore."

The teen sat back on his feet and wrung his hands together. "It… doesn't count as 'using' me if I want you to…"

The silver-haired man closed his eyes, eyebrows drawn together. "Tempting as you are, Riku, I can't… please believe me when I say this…"

"It isn't fair, Seph." His heavily lashed eyes lifted. "Why is it wrong when, right now, neither _one_ of us has who we want?"

Sephiroth shook his head. "It's morally wrong, Riku. At least for me." He sighed deeply and placed a hand to his forehead. "It's unfortunate enough that I'm still here in this vessel instead of out there, searching for him." He opened his eyes and looked at the teen.

"_Your_ Light is already here, Riku. I think you should tell him so."

"…maybe…" Riku bit his lip and looked away, ashamed. "…sorry, Seph… I wasn't thinking… no, you're right." He sat back on his heels, arms crossed and frowned. "But you… that… that was my first… real… uh… yeah…"

The older man cringed, feeling a little more than slightly guilty.

"…anyway… I figured something. That may be able to help you, I mean… at least I think."

"…and what's that?"

Riku scratched the corner of his eye and shrugged. "Alright, well… since Maleficent let me control the Heartless… that means I have these new powers, right?"

"I believe so…"

"Okay, then… I guess I can help you to try and find him…?"

The older man blinked. "How would you do that?"

"Maleficent controlled the Heartless before and was able to make those portals, right? Well… maybe I'm able to make them now too, I guess…"

"I see…"

Riku bit his lip. "And if I can, maybe there's some way I can show you how to do it… I know you have some dark powers, since you were able to make that… fire wall…"

"Is that what they are? Dark powers?"

"Probably." Riku shrugged. "I didn't know it before, but… something's different now."

Sephiroth nodded slowly. "I noticed."

The silver-haired teenager smiled sadly and looked up at Sephiroth. "Well, I guess we should do this thing, right?" The older man nodded again and smiled himself.

"Please."

__

------------------

Cloud scowled as he rolled over again, wing twitching and completely sore. He locked the door soon after Aerith left the room and stripped off everything above the waist, allowing his demon wing free before he slept.

He wished he hadn't, thought, when, hours later, he woke up laying on the appendage, uncomfortably numb beneath him. Cloud attempted vainly to flap it to restore at least some sort of life, but… instead, he only succeeded in causing the entire thing to tingle with that hated feeling of pins and needles. The blonde winced and swore silently, damning the thing on his back.

Something that troubled him about Traverse Town was its perpetual, pitch black sky. If Cloud was obsessive/compulsive about anything, it would be the time. He relied on the movement of the sun in the sky constantly. He figured it was something Zack had done while in SOLDIER, and simply a residual effect of living _as_ the black-haired First Class so long ago.

The blonde stretched, creaky joints popping as he lay on his stomach on Aerith's bed, content with the for the time being, even _if_ he could still hear the girls talking lightly in the main room of the house.

[Gossiping about me, no doubt.]

A loud gurgle erupted from his stomach and Cloud groaned, unwilling to move from the comfortable bed to fetch himself some food. _[I'm getting lazy, not sleeping outdoors,]_ he thought with a smirk.

[…and I smell. Gods.]

His mind mulled over his three current choices of action: staying in bed, taking a shower, or getting food. Again his stomach rumbled, louder this time, just as Cloud made up his mind to go back to sleep.

__

[…goddammit.]

With a sigh, the blonde pushed himself out of bed and hastily dressed, deciding a shower would be easier to go through with after his stomach shut up.

"Is there anywhere I can get something to eat?" he asked as he walked into the foyer-slash-bedroom. Aerith turned to give Cloud a warm smile, nodding gently.

"Right here. I can make you lunch, if you like."

Cloud drew his eyebrows together. "Lunch? You mean you actually know what time it is?" Yuffie nodded and answered for her.

"Yep! We bought a clock from the Gizmo Shop, see?" she announced, pointing to a rather unflattering orange monstrosity hanging above her bed. "Shut up, Spike, I like orange," she muttered, noticing the blonde's grimace of disapproval. Aerith giggled, a hand covering her mouth.

Looking up at Cloud, the Cetra asked, "so… what would you like?" He shrugged in response.

"_Food_ would be great." Aerith giggled again and rose, striding away down the hallway.

Cloud flopped onto the couch, legs splayed as he let out a heaving sigh. The ninja tilted her head at him, concerned with his . "What's up, Cloudy?"

He rubbed his eyes, shaking his head. "Ah, just didn't sleep that well is all."

"Oh," came the small reply. Yuffie perked up, folding her hands in her lap. "What're ya gonna do today?" Cloud shrugged.

"I don't know. What is there to do here?"

The ninja pursed her lips and pressed a finger to her mouth. "Uhm… you could help Leon and me hunt Heartless? Sora left for a few days, Donald didn't want to stay here much longer since they stocked up on supplies." She tilted her head and grinned. "Is there any stuff _you_ need ta get?"

"Not that I know of." He looked up and saw Aerith in the doorway with a tray full of food. "Wow, that was… fast," he remarked.

The emerald-eyed girl smiled lightly, handing the tray over. "I think it's a Cetra thing," she said with a giggle. "My mom - not Elmyra, Ifalna - used to make entire meals this quick as well."

Cloud nodded acknowledging and gratefully took the offered food and proceeded to dig in, nearly inhaling the entire meal. Three sandwiches, grapes, milk, and a whole lotta pretzels… all of it gone within a matter of seconds as both girls watched, eyes wide in horror.

"What?" he mumbled around a mouth full of food.

Yuffie raised an eyebrow in partial disgust. "Eat much?"

"Huh?"

"She called you a pig, Cloud."

"Eh, materia stealing brat." Yuffie scowled and got up.

"Screw you, Spikey," she muttered, sticking out her tongue before turning her dark eyes over to Aerith. "I'm gonna go to the Synth Shop, see if I can get anything made, 'kay?"

Aerith nodded and shook her hand dismissively. "Be careful."

"I always am!" the ninja grinned and flashed a victory sign before bouncing out the door.

The Cetra laughed quietly and remarked, quietly, "a bundle of energy she is." Cloud rolled his eyes at the ninja.

Aerith took the tray and moved it off to the side before taking his hands in her own, patting them softly. "I'm so glad you're here with us, Cloud. I can't stress that enough."

"Yeah… I never thought I'd ever… _see_ you again, you know…?" The blonde furrowed his brow and took his hands away from the flower girl. "How are you here, anyway? I mean…," he trailed off. Aerith shook her head and looked away.

"I don't know myself. I remember being in the Lifestream—"

"Wait, you didn't get to the Promised Land?" Cloud interrupted.

She shook her head, scrunching her nose in thought. "No, I didn't… I don't understand it myself, really." She shrugged and pulled her braid over her shoulder, running her fingers through the loose ends. "Maybe it's better I didn't. That way I wouldn't have been able to see you again."

Cloud sighed. "Maybe."

The girl tilted her head and blinked. "You sound sad…"

"I am." He raked a hand through his hair but stopped, teasing a few fallen spikes back into place. "I always am."

Aerith shook her head, placing a hand on the mercenary's knee. "I wish you wouldn't be," she said quietly. Her glittering emerald eyes found sparkling blue. "It's over, Cloud… he isn't here anymore."

The man broke her gaze and affixed it on the ceiling. _[So… she did know…]_ "No, you're wrong. He's around, somewhere. I just can't find him."

"No. Sephiroth is dead, Cloud, and he will stay dead."

Cloud glared at her, eyebrows drawn, pushing her hand off his knee. She knew how he felt about Sephiroth, obviously, and the vehemence in her voice against Sephiroth's resurrection… it was _mean_ of her to act like that…

"You were dead _too_, Ae_ris_. What makes you think that, especially _now_," he opened his arms out to the side, "the dead stay dead?" Cloud quieted his voice as he went on. "Besides, I know he's alive. I can feel it."

The flower girl pouted slightly, unfolding and refolding her small hands in her lap. "Would you rather I stayed dead, Cloud?" she asked, voice small. The blonde heaved a sigh and rolled his eyes.

"I didn't _say_ that, Aerith…" He tilted his head back and sighed again. "I didn't _want_ you to die in the first place… if I could've stopped him I would have, you know that…"

She turned away from him and stared at a wall. "Do I?"

__

[Gods, sometimes talking to you is more torture than five years in Hojo's lab… why would you even think I WANTED that…?] "Well… you should…"

"I'm sorry, Cloud."

He gave his characteristic shrug and leaned back into the couch. "Forget it."

"Whoo! I was able to get a Megalixir _and_ a Ribbon!" Yuffie exclaimed excitedly, jumping through the door, but her happy mood died upon sensing the heavy tension in the room. "What's goin' on?"

Aerith shook her head and smiled thinly. "Nothing. Just reminiscing."

"Tch. Without me? You guys suck," she said, grinning. "Oh, by the way, Leon's stopping by later on, Cloud."

The blonde blinked as a slight blush crept to his cheeks. _[…she couldn't have noticed…]_ "Why are you telling _me_ this…?"

Yuffie rolled her eyes and put a fist to her slender hip. "Duh, dummy, he just wants to ask you some stuff. He's not exactly the most trusting guy."

"Even though he _knows_ that both you two and Cid know me?" Cloud asked incredulously.

"Heroes can go sour, too," Aerith piped up. "I don't believe you have, though."

Yuffie smirked. "Even if you _do_ look like a freaked-out bedlamite." The blonde blinked.

"Well look who's talking all smart," he snorted, eyebrow raised. Aerith chuckled, shaking her head.

"Blah, blah, whatever, Cloudy-boy." The ninja grinned broadly and winked. "You should probably take a shower… you _really_ stink, Spike."

Aerith shot the other girl a look. "That is _not_ polite, Yuffie!"

The blonde waved a hand and stood. "No, it's alright, I was thinking the same thing." He looked at the pink-clad girl and gave her a ghost of a grin. "May I?" She nodded.

"Clean towels are in the cabinet under the sink, and the bathroom is through the white door in my bedroom."

"Thanks."

Cloud stepped into the bedroom and shut the door, stripping his clothing off and placing it neatly on the bed. He waved his hand as his - very ripe - stench wafted through the room. "Gods, when was the last time I showered?" he muttered, tossing his pants onto the floor. Absently he raised an eyebrow, scanning the articles of discarded clothing.

[I should sort this stuff out… belts in one pile, unneeded accessories and worthless shit in the other…]

The blonde sighed and made his way to the bathroom, pulling out an unnaturally fluffy pink towel from the cabinet and then proceeded to toss it unceremoniously to the floor. Cloud turned and caught sight of himself in the mirror. He sighed at the large batwing gracing - rather, _marring _- his reflection… he never actually washed it in a _shower_ before, as the Coliseum only had a bathhouse, and Cloud didn't quite know how he should go about it. Watching his movements in the mirror, Cloud fully extended it into the air before attempting to bend it over his shoulder.

[…that should work.]

Turning the water to blazing hot, Cloud stepped into the shower and sighed deeply, finally able to wash away the dirt and grime from months of training, fighting, and killing, mess sliding down his body under the warm, pounding spray, savoring the feeling of getting _clean_ and _warm_.

After a short bit of indulgence, the blonde turned to scan the walls of the shower, scowling a bit as he examined the bottles of women's shampoo and assorted, _scented_ soaps._ […I'm gonna smell like a girl in front of Cid and Leon. Fantastic,]_ he thought wryly, grabbing a watermelon-scented shampoo.

When he was finished with his unruly hair, the man picked up a bar of soap and scrubbed every single inch of his skin until it was pale and raw, not exactly surprised at how black he had gotten. The water running off his body practically ran grey for nearly ten minutes as he washed, rinsed, and repeated. Several times.

Cloud absently started to hum as he worked, a little ditty he heard once when he went to see a showing of 'LOVELESS' back in Midgar. Cloud frowned as he remembered the place, which led to thoughts of Tifa… and Barret… no one ever mentioned what happened to Barret, and the blonde wondered if he and Marlene were safe…

His thoughts drifted once more to settle on Zack… he missed Zack terribly, his best friend… his _savior_…

…and… Sephiroth…

Finished cleaning the majority of himself, Cloud only had one more thing to wash… the _wing_. He repeated his previous action of bending the appendage and then turned the wing under the spray. _[I wonder if I have to clean this thing with soap or shampoo,]_ he thought jokingly.

…at least, he thought jokingly until he remembered there was a four-foot long, leathery, jet-black demon wing protruding from his left shoulder blade.

He grabbed the shampoo he used earlier and went on to quickly wash the thing, cringing slightly at the odd sensation simply _touching_ it made. It wasn't really _unpleasant_ for him, it was just… unusual.

Cloud forcibly removed himself from the water moments later, sopping wet, and nearly slipping on the smooth tile floor. Growling as he righted himself, the blonde grabbed the towel and proceeded to dry his wing's surface, boredly wrapping the towel around his waist and padding out into the bedroom. He hastily dried his lower body before throwing on his pants and boxers, content in leaving his feet bare.

[I really need to buy more clothes…] Cloud sat on the bed and threw the towel over his head.

The blonde hadn't heard the door open through the rustle of his still-wet hair, humming again as he worked, rubbing vigorously with the towel. Yuffie stepped into the room and her eyes went wide, staring slack-jawed at her former leader.

The ninja girl wasn't staring at his _body_, though.

Her eyes were trained on the single, jet-black batwing protruding from his left shoulder blade.

Cloud slipped the towel from his head back, draping it slowly across his shoulders when he sensed the other presence in the room. He shook his head before he muttered, "I really wish you would have knocked first."

The Wutaian stepped forward, hand pressed to her mouth as her orange-booted feet padded softly across her roommate's carpet, making her way to Cloud's side. Yuffie's struggle for words was so strong it was palpable, and with a sigh, Cloud broke the silence.

"Look. It's a long story, I don't want to talk about it. Like I said before, things don't always go as planned."

Yuffie scratched her head and mumbled, quietly teasing, "man, back home you were tryin' to be Zack… then you took fashion tips from Vinny, now you're doin' body modification like Sephy… when're you gonna ease up and just be _yourself_, Spike…?"

"…Yuf… I didn't _ask_ for a wing… and _especially_ not just _one _of them… so please, don't _mock_ me," Cloud growled, hoping the teenager would just let the topic drop.

But all Yuffie did was stare.

Hastily, Cloud got up and threw the rest of his clothing on, buckling belts and strapping on his armor. He hadn't had time to replace the athletic tape around his wrists and knuckles before snapping on his bracers, he realized later, but he felt like had to get out before Yuffie drove him crazy.

The ninja gave Cloud a confused look as he pulled on his cape, tucking his wing as close to his body as he was able. "Hey… what're you doing?"

"Leaving."

The girl blinked and tilted her head. "Where are you goin', Spikey?" Cloud stopped and looked at her blankly. "Well, are ya coming back? What about Squall?"

The man walked passed her and went down the hall, silently wishing she would just shut it already, but Yuffie followed, chewing on her lower lip.

"Hey, Cloud! C'mon, Cloud-yyy!"

Just then, Aerith stepped through the door, a large bag of Potions and Ethers in her arms after a brief trip to the Item Shop. She noticed Cloud's angered expression and furrowed her eyebrows, casting a wary glance at her roommate. "What's the matter…?"

"Spikey has a _wing_!!" the ninja girl blurted, pointing. The blonde sighed gruffly, scowling at Yuffie. "Oops…"

The Cetra tilted her head. "Is that so?" Yuffie nodded enthusiastically.

"It's a _batwing_! It looks like _Chaos_'! And he's only got **_one_**!"

Cloud threw his hands up in the air and let them flop down to his sides, now thoroughly agitated. He ungracefully slumped onto the couch in the front room of Yuffie and Aerith's tiny house as both girls went on to stare at him.

__

[Fuck, now Aerith's going to ask questions…]

The brunette tilted her head to the side and blinked. "Oh," she said - as if it were the most boring news she'd ever heard - and stepped past the both of them to begin restocking a cabinet with the healing supplies.

Cloud simply stared at her as she calmly put the items away. "…you aren't going to ask about it?" he questioned, curiosity barely concealed. The girl shook her head.

"It isn't my business," she replied quietly.

"But… but _I_ wanna know!" Yuffie whined.

Aerith shook her head again and turned towards her friend. "No, Cloud doesn't want to explain. Isn't that right, Cloud?"

The blonde blinked again. _[I didn't expect **that**…]_ "N… no…"

Yuffie stomped her foot on the ground and crossed her arms, a pout gracing her face. "But… but that's not fair! I wanna know, Spikey!"

"I'm sure he'll tell us when the time is right, if at all," Aerith lightly scolded the younger girl, her calm exterior never fading. Cloud heaved a grateful sigh.

"Thanks a lot, Aerith."

She smiled and bowed, picking up the now-empty grocery bag and padding softly down the hallway.

The ninja girl flopped onto the bed, flat on her back. "You guys _really_ suck."

Cid rapped sharply on the window to announce his presence and stepped in the door. "Shit, with that kid gone, damn Gummi shop's shot to hell," he grumbled irritably. A fresh cigarette made its way to his mouth as he nudged Cloud's leg with his foot. "Scoot over, Spike, share the fuckin' wealth."

The younger blonde complied and the gruff pilot fell gracelessly back into the cushions, letting out a loud, contented 'ahhhh'.

"How's it hangin', Cid?" the ninja asked halfheartedly, not looking up.

"It would be better if I had some goddamn _tea_," he responded, near-shouting the last few words.

"I'll fix you some!" Aerith's voice floated into the room.

Cid chuckled and shook his head. "Damn Cetra's a life saver."

"Cloudy-boy has a _wing_!" Yuffie proclaimed from her prone position, one arm flapping into the air.

"No shit?" the pilot grunted, looking Cloud up and down. "Whip it out, son!"

"I don't want anyone whipping anything out in my home," Aerith murmured, a fresh cup of tea in hand. Cloud snorted at the remark.

"I wasn't planning on it. Besides, the thing's so grotesque, I don't know why anyone would want to see it in the first place."

Leon's eyebrow quirked upward as he snorted. Somehow, no one noticed his earlier entrance, during Cid's little request. Cloud looked over to the brunette and flushed, bringing his hands up to his face.

"What if I asked to see it?" the brunette warrior asked with a smirk.

Cloud's face burned hotly and he didn't even bother to suppress his groan.

"It's not _that_ bad, Spike," Yuffie stated, eyes still skyward, body not shifting as Aerith sat precariously on the edge of the bed.

"I hate you, Yuf," the blonde grunted.

Cid let out a harsh laugh, clapping the mercenary on the back, "c'mon, kid, be a pal and show us that sucker!"

"I'm not entirely sure what everyone wants to see, but you're making me awfully curious, too," Squall chipped in, voice bored as ever.

"It's my wing," Cloud grunted, "I'm not proud of it, so I'd rather keep it hidden."

The girl nodded. "Everyone should respect Cloud's wishes. It _is_ his appendage, after all." The blonde shot Aerith a look of gratitude.

[I owe you one, Aer…]

"But that ain't _fair_!" Cid and the ninja shouted huffily in tandem.

"Guys, _please_," Cloud grumbled. He clenched his clawed hand in his hair, growing more and more frustrated by the second. Why the hell wouldn't they just shut up about it already?

Yuffie pouted. "Well… okay then, what if we pay you?" she bribed, finally sitting up.

The blonde lifted his head and stared at the dark-haired girl, suddenly much more intrigued in the offer. "…how much?"

Cid grinned widely. "Hell, I'll fuckin' chip in, I _gotta_ see that puppy."

The ninja shallowly bit her lower lip and tilted her head. "Uhm… how 'bout 300 munny each?" The pilot nodded vigorously.

"Fine with me."

Cloud looked between the two and grunted. "Fine. You want to see my wing? I'll let you see my wing." He raised an eyebrow and jerked his chin towards a nearby table. "Munny first."

The two ex-teammates hastily tore through their pockets and pulled out the munny requested, piling the coins onto the end table. "Thanks, I needed that," he said halfheartedly, "need new clothes."

"Seriously, those are all gross," the ninja said, scrunching her nose. "And they stink."

The blonde rolled his eyes as he stood, unwrapping the mantle from his neck. "I noticed."

When the cape was removed he threw it to the floor and extended his wing, all four sets of eyes focused solely on the jet black appendage as it stood in its full glory.

Cid furrowed his brow as he stared, and Cloud scowled to himself. Truth be told, he _had_ expected _some_ sort of reaction from his former teammates, but this… disgust from the older blonde hurt Cloud the worst.

After all, the pilot quickly became Vincent's friend back in the day, unusual as the pair were together, and did so despite all of the monsters Hojo cursed the former Turk with… out of everyone, Cloud figured at least _Cid_ would be one of the most tolerant of his deformity… and not so completely… _horrified_…

"…what the _fuck_ smells like _watermelon_?!"

Cloud blinked, immediately remembering the shampoo he used earlier, and very nearly started blushing for accusing Cid of being… well, of being a petty asshole. "Um… that's my wing."

The pilot raised an eyebrow curiously. "Should I even ask?" Cloud shrugged.

"Shampoo."

Again, Cid raised his eyebrow and leaned forward, bracing himself on his knee, and asked in a hushed voice, "shit, Spike, you use that _girly_ stuff?"

Cloud's jaw floundered, the wing on his back flapping of its own volition as he answered. "Uh, it wasn't… I mean… it was all they _had_…"

"Shit, you should come stay with me, then. Don't want you smellin' like fuckin' fruit the whole time yer here."

"What's wrong with smelling like fruit?" Aerith asked, chuckling lightly at the conversation.

Cid backhanded the younger blonde's forearm and grinned. "Spikey here's a man! Can't have him smelling like a bit—I mean, like a _woman_!" Aerith and Yuffie frowned simultaneously.

"As long as he doesn't smell like shit," Leon added, deadpan. The room's occupants turned to the resident ice god, shocked at the joke. He shrugged. "It's true."

The ninja tilted her head. "Err… you alright there, Squally?"

"It's Leon."

Aerith smiled. "I think in that case, it would be Leon-y." Cid blinked.

"Does this house have a fuckin' gas leak or somethin'? Shit, everyone's crackin' jokes…," the pilot grumbled, retrieving another cigarette.

"Can I put this thing away now?" Cloud asked impatiently, pointing to his wing. Yuffie waved her hand.

"Yeah, yeah…"

The younger blonde smirked as he grabbed his discarded cape, draping it easily around himself in one practiced motion. "Was it worth the 300?"

Cid rolled his eyes and let out a sigh, getting up. "Welp, tea's finished, saw a wing, lost some money, I'm gonna call it a day," the gruff pilot announced. "I'll see y'all later."

With that, he bypassed the scarred Leon and stepped through the door.

Yuffie tipped her head and suggested, quite out of the blue, "why don't you go shopping with Leon, Cloud?" Turning towards Squall, the ninja added, "you wanted to talk to him anyway, right?" Leon nodded slowly.

"Though shopping isn't my favorite activity."

Aerith smiled lightly and winked. "Maybe not, but you are a good dresser."

"…whatever."

The ninja giggled. "Me-_ow_, she's right, sexy man." Leon narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms, very obviously irritated.

Cloud scooped up his newly-acquired munny and scratched his head, dropping the coins into a pocket.

"Uh… if you want to go with me… I'm ready, I guess." His eyes darted from the flower girl to Yuffie as he asked, trying to keep the plea from his voice, "you guys want to come with us?"

Aerith shook her head and gestured behind her. "No thank you, I have some other errands to do around town," she replied, smiling.

The Wutaian also declined. "Nah, I wanna bug Cid still, I think. You guys have fun, though," she added with a wink.

Cloud looked at the brunette and shrugged. "I think she's mocking us."

"…whatever."

The two warriors walked out of the house, weapons in hand, and heroically ventured off to perform the daunting, arduous task of clothes shopping for Cloud.

----------------------

__

A/N: Revised 5/10/04, added a little over 2000 words… fwee. God, Seph's half is really long… 14 pages and a bit over 6500 words… yeesh.

BTW, I feel pretty stupid now. I forgot to mention last chapter that I completely forgot what the sword Riku was using during the meeting in Traverse Town, so I had to make it up during the fight with Seph. ::blushes:: Whoops.


	6. Part Five

****

Part Five

__

So hold me when I'm here,  
right me when I'm wrong.  
You can hold me when I'm scared  
But you won't always be there,  
So love me when I'm gone.  
------------------

"Well, you're obviously not trying hard enough."

"Yes, I am. It just isn't _working_."

"Then try _harder_."

"And how do you propose I 'try harder' when I'm already **_doing _**all I **can**?"

Riku frowned and crossed his arms, giving Sephiroth a 'stop being an ass and _do_ it' glare. "Just _try_." The older one sighed, tilting his head back.

"What else can I do, hmm? Something is preventing me from conjuring a portal on my own," Sephiroth growled in frustration. The teen had been trying to teach him how to call up a portal for _hours_, it felt like, and the ex-General was getting increasingly agitated at the fact that he was unable to perform the task as Riku had.

…which was wholly understandable. Sephiroth had _always_ able to do whatever he set his mind to, and now, when he couldn't do something so _easy_ that a _boy_ could do it…

The older man growled again, irately.

It wasn't fair.

Riku grunted and lifted his hand into the air. His eyes narrowed in concentration as he clenched his fist and twisted, literally tearing a hole out of nothing, leaving a gaping, black and purple rip in space. With a smirk, the teen placed his arm over his stomach and bowed dramatically at his success.

"There. That's how it goes. Now do it yourself."

Sephiroth sighed and mimicked Riku's actions perfectly, and, as usual… failed. _/…rotten son of a…!!/_

The silver-haired man uttered a silent curse and placed his hands on his hips, refusing to look over at his young companion, and his growl transformed to an irritated snarl. "You see? _Nothing_."

Riku clicked his tongue and flicked his wrist, closing up the portal he made. "Now try."

"We've done this _five times _now, Riku. I can't do it when yours is _open_, and I also cannot when it's _closed_." He placed his palm against his forehead and frowned. "Couldn't I simply use the one _you_ summoned?"

The teen shook his head.

"_Why_?"

"Dammit, Seph, I already _told_ you… if you go through the one _I_ made and Cloud isn't where you _end up_, how the _hell_ do you think you're going to get _back_?" The silver-haired man grit his teeth, partially embarrassed he hadn't come to that - obvious - conclusion. "See? Don't wanna use my portals _now_, do you?"

Sephiroth ran a hand through his hair, muttering to himself, "gods, Riku, just be _quiet_."

The boy rolled his eyes, tapping a foot on the floorboards, tempted to annoy the older man even more. It had been a _looooong_ time since he was able to mock someone so 'superior' to himself, and he had to admit, it was _damn_ amusing. "Hey, don't get mad at me because you can't do it."

"Do _not_ taunt me, Riku," Sephiroth grumbled, his already grouchy mood souring by the second. Riku threw his hands in the air and grunted.

"I'm not _taunting_ you on _purpose_, I'm just telling you like it is."

"…will you just accompany me until I find him, then?" Sephiroth asked with a sigh.

Riku sniffed and shook his head. "I can't. I still have to help Kairi."

The two silver-headed men turned towards the door where a commotion had erupted, and a Heartless' shrieked warning blazed through the communication tubes. Sephiroth thought he faintly heard Mr. Smee shout as well, a shrill little sound like fingernails on a chalkboard. Riku cringed.

"Shit… I should probably check that out," he announced, jogging towards the door. "Keep practicing, I'll be back in a sec… I hope," the teen added under his breath. Sephiroth understood completely - everyone on the ship - with the exception of themselves - was rather… feckless.

The older man nodded in a dismissive gesture and flopped down onto the hammock.

__

/This is ludicrous. How can I not create a meager portal when I was able to summon a damned **Meteor**?!/

Sephiroth scowled, halfheartedly repeating the tearing motions as he sprawled on the makeshift bed, vainly attempting to rip time and space, and with each unsuccessful turn he sighed, becoming more discouraged.

After several more bored, failed tries, the stoic, great ex-General Sephiroth crossed his arms…

…and pouted.

__

/How is this so hard? What could I possibly be doing **wrong**?/

He licked his lips and stared into blank space, silently mulling it over. There just _had_ to be some way he could do it.

…after all, _Riku_ could do it, and Riku wasn't _half_ as powerful as he himself was.

Sephiroth shook his head and stood, bent over to touch his toes, and then reached skyward in an easy, comfortable stretch. _/Perhaps a few katas are in order… clear my head before trying this ridiculous farce again…/_

Sephiroth maneuvered his coat carefully over his wing and tossed it without care onto the hammock, then unbuckled the broad belt around his torso before placing it gently onto the leather. He took a deep breath and shivered slightly, the cool ocean air blowing in from the porthole beating on his bare upper body.

Slowly, the silver-haired man bent one leg up, placing his ankle in the crook of his opposite knee. He brought both arms up, folding one over his chest and let the other stretch out to his side, lowering himself leisurely. For nearly a minute he held the position, breathing in and out in calm breaths before switching positions.

With graceful, fluid movements, he moved his bent leg to the side, placing his foot flat on the floor. Stretching his folded arm out, the ex-General crouched down and slowly arced his arms straight over his head, repeating the breathing technique before he brought himself back into the previous stance.

After performing the katas several times each, Sephiroth decided he was - _finally_ - calm enough to attempt that absolutely infuriating process of conjuring up himself a transportation portal.

Before starting, the silver-haired man took another deep, steadying breath and worked out a kink that eased its way into his neck by rolling his shoulders, the ruffled feathers of his wing annoyingly tickling his naked skin.

__

/'Firstly, imagine the air before you is tangible'. Not a problem./

Sephiroth closed his eyes for a moment to kill the growl working up from his throat. He then opened his eyes and began the process of staring out into nothing._ /Even the simplest idiot can perform **this** task./_

/'Next, reach into said tangible air.'/

He reached out his arm slowly but deliberately, imagining he could feel the space as he pushed. To his great surprise, his sense of touch - and wishful thinking, he imagined - made him feel a slight pressure, as if his arm was held in something.

/Well, **that's **certainly never happened before…/ To this discovery, Sephiroth arched an eyebrow.

__

/'Grab hold of the space.'/

The silver-haired man curled his fingers, clawing them into the air and made a tight fist. _/This is so… stupid./_

__

/'Twist.'/

His fist twisted, and Sephiroth's eyes went wide as he - _thought_ he - felt resistance, and went on to blink several times in disbelief. _/…not possible./_

He gave a quick shake of his head, confirming his acceptance of defeat._ /Wishful thinking, Sephiroth…,/_ his mind muttered to himself as he soldiered on.

__

/'Tear the seams'./

Sephiroth took a deep breath, not holding back the wince which crept to his face as he pulled, the inevitable groan and dread of failure surging into his throat. With a sharp tug, he pulled backwards, fairly certain he imagined he heard a faint ripping sound.

__

/…nonsense./

The silver-haired angel bit his lip and securely closed his eyes, refusing to watch as he failed yet again. In one nerve-wracked move, Sephiroth suddenly yanked his arm completely back and down to his side.

/…I've failed, I know it. Why should I even bother?/ Tentatively, a glowing aquamarine eye opened.

…and, to his utter, absolute shock, saw a gaping black hole standing right in front of him, shades of black and purple swirling within the vortex before him. The ex-General smirked. _/Ha. I win./_

As a triumphant afterthought, Sephiroth added, _/…bitch./_

The man didn't know how he managed to pull it off that time, and to be quite honest, he didn't care, as long as he had the portal opened. But, eager as he was to leave, Sephiroth knew he couldn't do so while Riku was missing in action… he _had_ to say goodbye to the teen. The ex-General frowned, knowing full well that the silver-haired teen wasn't going be happy at all for his success with the portal, nor with his departure… especially with what had happened earlier.

Sephiroth let his line of thought drift back to that not-so-simple kiss he had with Riku. He _knew_ it was wrong, the teenager was just a child, after all, and Sephiroth himself was very nearly twice Riku's age. But, naturally, some part of Sephiroth had enjoyed it greatly and yes, he very much wanted to give into that temptation, both for his own selfish desires and Riku's blatant need for contact, mental and physical.

…tough as it was, he resisted. He couldn't _do_ that to the boy. He couldn't just take Riku's innocence away from him, steal his virginity…

…after all, that's what happened with Cloud. That first time, Sephiroth didn't care at _all_ for the young blonde, but he took that offer anyway without a second thought. He _liked_ Cloud, but he didn't _love_ him… at least, not until much later…

Again the silver-haired man sighed.

Even if he had taken Riku, it wouldn't have been because he loved the boy. Sephiroth knew he never _would_ love him - at least not like _that_. But that didn't stop a piece inside of him which wanted to take the teen away from all of the fighting, away from all the anger and frustration Riku locked away within himself, and just… _keep_ the boy, forever; not as a lover, but as a friend.

/…well,/ the ex-General mused wickedly,_ /quite possibly lovers./_ He paused. _/…if it wasn't for Cloud, anyway…/_

Sephiroth hated the way Maleficent was so blatantly using Riku to do her dirty work, just like a puppet…

/Like a mere puppet that I had been, used by Jenova for her own conquests, just a vehicle to carry out petty desire…/ The man frowned and slipped to the floor, crossing his legs, an elbow placed on his knee. Sephiroth sighed and made a fist, resting it under his chin as he thought.

/And now, Riku's suffering through the same thing./

Sephiroth's frown deepened. _/And other than Kairi's resuscitation, what has that witch promised you, Riku? Are you to be a god? Immortal, perhaps? Are you to be feared and known around all worlds?/_ Sephiroth sighed heavily.

/You must realize that now you're nothing but a villain, just as I had been, and battling against your love. I wish you would change, Riku… it would be a terrible tragedy to die so young…/

The silver-haired man uncrossed his legs and laid down, bare chest flat against the grainy wooden floor. _/Just a puppet… this power to control and manipulate will eventually mean nothing, I wish you could see that…/_ He smirked dryly.

/I'm living proof./

Sephiroth saw his troubling past through his mind's eye. He _hadn't_ been in complete control of himself at that time… he still knew, though, that he had hurt Cloud - _his_ Cloud - completely by destroying his hometown… nearly _murdering_ him, and Zack, and that mountain guide, Tifa… Sephiroth had succeeded in killing that girl's father, and the blonde's mother.

The silver-haired man rested his forehead in one palm as he recollected his crimes.

He even managed to raze an entire _town_, completely destroying it, with the exception of ShinRa Mansion… gods, he had even caused the Planet's defenders to resurface, those WEAPONs… and he killed the last Cetra, ran her through, murdering her in cold blood and _smiled_ as he did it…

Even before Jenova he was a murderer. In the ShinRa/Wutai war, he led his troops through the Western Continent, all of them slaying both rebels and civilians, women and even little _children_, and all because - even _then_ - he was a puppet. ShinRa's pretty little puppet, their Golden Boy, Top SOLDIER, the idol of every single person who supported ShinRa. Little boys barely in their teens joined the heresy that was SOLDIER, exactly as Cloud had, in hopes of being just like _him_, the great General Sephiroth.

He was sick of all that hero worship, the unwanted attention and awe, but he had to deal with it. He had no choice at all in the matter… that was his _role_. His _duty_.

Sephiroth scoffed. His whole life he'd done _nothing_ but play the beautiful, untouchable marionette which blindly followed orders. He was raised to be ruthless and cold, his only purpose was to lead the flocks, a shepherd of the masses. He… had no _heart_, and no will of his own to speak of… and even though he was the strongest SOLDIER ever, he still had no say; he let both ShinRa - and later on, _Jenova_ - do whatever they wished with him.

And, sadly, he had to perish twice to learn his lesson.

He did _not_ want Riku to follow that same road.

"What're you trying to do, entice me?"

__

/Speak of the devil./ "No," Sephiroth chuckled, "at least, not really."

Riku smirked, crossing his arms.

"Uh huh." The boy tilted his head and smiled thinly. "So you finally managed to make the portal?"

"Hm?" Sephiroth pushed himself up and off the floor, retrieving his clothes. "Oh. Yes, I did. I believe I discovered the secret," he said, shaking his head. "Katas."

Riku raised an eyebrow. "Katas?"

"Yes." Sephiroth tilted his head, lips turning upwards into a miniscule smile. "Helps clear the mind."

Sephiroth licked his lips thoughtfully as he dressed, somewhat debating on whether or not he intended to discuss the teen's situation with the Heartless or not. Slowly he pivoted to face the silver-haired boy. Sephiroth drew his eyebrows together and frowned with realization.

"Riku… you aren't upset…"

"Why would I be upset?"

The older one narrowed his eyes questioningly. "Didn't you just deal with Sora?" Riku nodded but stayed silent, simply wearing an oddly satisfied look on his face.

"…what did you do, Riku?"

"I did nothing." The boy's voice quivered a bit, deepening just slightly. He shrugged seconds later, completely nonchalant. "Ah, but I have things to take care of." He smiled again, darkly. "Back to Hollow Bastion, then. You yourself may stay here for the ride, but I've to get there immediately."

Sephiroth's eyes turned to fine slits. "_Who _and _what **are **_you?" he demanded, examining the teen.

Riku grinned slyly, both silver eyebrows raised in amusement. "Don't be silly… you know me, Sephiroth, I am Riku." He turned and opened the door, not bothering to turn around as he murmured, "I shall see you there." And with that, Riku stepped through the door and left.

The man growled angrily. He'd seen behavior like the boy's before. _He_ behaved like that before…

Sephiroth sprinted over to the door and opened it, looking up and down the hall for any sign of Riku, but - not so surprisingly - found none. His Mako-enhanced hearing couldn't pick up footsteps, either, even though the boy had left bare moments before.

He swore to himself and made a fist, slamming it against the wall, frustrated. Something was definitely _not_ right.

The silver-hared man sighed and turned around, gazing at the open portal standing in the small cabin. Sephiroth didn't know where it went or how to use it, exactly, but he _had_ to get to Riku. Finding Cloud could wait; the blonde knew what he was doing, and Sephiroth was certain his Light was fine, not to mention the fact that Cloud could handle keeping himself out of trouble.

…well, at least until he and Sephiroth could be reunited.

The ex-General strode to the black and purple vortex, tentatively reaching his arm through to the elbow, eyebrow arched of its own volition in curiosity. Sephiroth couldn't feel his hand anymore at all… what he _did_ feel was a burning cold where the limb was supposed to be, felt no response when he attempted to curl his fingers or move his wrist. The cold tugged at his arm, beckoning him into the portal.

He frowned and jerked his arm backwards. To his surprise, the Darkness gave easily and his forearm slipped painlessly out of the vortex, that coldness gone, fingers responding to his will.

__

/…well, this should prove interesting./

Scanning the room briefly for anything he may have left behind, Sephiroth placed his right hand on the hilt of the Masamune, readying himself for danger, and stepped into the purling Darkness inside of the portal.

__

------------------

__

[This… is gonna… **suck**.]

Cloud grumbled quietly to himself, trailing behind Leon as he was led through Traverse Town's commerce district - or more commonly known as 'Third'. The brunette had set the pace for the entire trip thus far, taking wide strides with long - _sexy_ - legs which Cloud was _trying_ to keep up with… the older man didn't have much on Cloud when it came to height, only two or three inches, but Leon was walking so damn _fast_.

Fortunately, enemy encounters were surprisingly few and far between, only some random attacks from the little colorful magi Cloud grew to hate so badly after fighting so many of them at the Coliseum; the little buggers were quick as hell. Air Soldiers and Shadows posed no threat at all, just like the magi, and all of them were more of a nuisance to the two warriors than anything.

During the entire walk and through a lot of the battles, Cloud's eyes were fixed on both Leon and his unusual weapon, intrigued. The weapon the older man wielded was… well, quite frankly, it was _weird_. It looked pretty clunky - or at least to Cloud, even though his own weapon wasn't exactly the most streamlined of the bunch - and a gleaming silver, obviously well-taken care of, with a lion's head keychain swinging from its hilt which damn near matched the pendant hanging from the brunette's neck.

…and it had a trigger. And used bullets.

…but it was a _sword_.

And Cloud had no idea how the hell the other man could use the thing one-handed, either.

Curiosity intervened, finally too much to handle after the first few battles, when Cloud jerked his chin towards the older man's weapon and noted, "I never saw one of those before…"

"You wouldn't," Leon responded, absently looking down at the sword/pistol hybrid. "From my world. Called a 'gunblade', SeeD issue. It's rare."

"'SeeD'?" Cloud quoted, head tilted. His brain was processing on overtime, wondering about the mechanics of the gun-sword thing and how it could have _possibly_ worked… a gun on a sword? And with the gun… Cloud wondered if Vincent would've been intrigued by the weapon as well.

Squall shrugged, tapping the gunblade on his leg as they walked. "Military thing, don't worry about it." He let his eyes travel back to the younger man's innocent-looking face, Cloud's gaze still affixed on his unusual weapon.

"What about yours?" The brunette pointed at the Buster Sword, bound with athletic tape. "Why did you do that?"

The younger man shrugged, fingers twirling a piece of the tape which worked its hold from the blade. "Just thought it fit."

Leon raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

The two men walked past random stores, bright neon signs blazing with names of the shops, some not even remotely hinting towards what they sold. Cloud was particularly confused by one name, 'Pete's Prism Palace', a store that, as the window display showed, sold only hats and belts and not… well, gems.

"We can go there," the older man said, pointing to a store across the way.

Cloud groaned when he noticed the mannequins were clothed - from head to toe - in _nothing_ but… leather.

"I don't think I'm the leather type," he murmured, scratching his head and utterly embarrassed.

"Tell it to a wall. Come on."

The younger man blinked at the odd response. [_'Tell it to a wall'? The hell…?]_

Leon led Cloud into the store, nodding his head when the tall, thin man behind the counter shouted his name loudly in recognition. The blonde wasn't surprised that the clerk knew the older man, especially by _name_, considering leather made up 85% of Leon's outfit…

Without asking for his opinion, the gunblade wielder removed random pairs of pants from the racks, black ones with shiny silver buckles up the length of the legs, dark red ones that looked like they'd ride a little too low - and make Cloud look like a gigantic skank in the process - , and final pair, black with an abundance of chains and belts already attached.

"Try those on," the older man half-ordered, shoving the articles at a blushing Cloud. He took the pants with a grimace.

"I _really_ don't think this is my style," he said tentatively. The brunette waved him off and walked away to the jackets.

[Oh, gods… why **leather**…?]

With a heaving sigh, the younger man stepped into the dressing room and very reluctantly tried on the clothing.

Shocked, Cloud found that he really liked the dark red pair. They fit nicely around his hips and weren't _too_ tight, loose from the knee down, somewhat flared but not overly noticeable… sort-of like Leon's. And not only that, but they actually complimented his cape nicely.

He decided to get those as well as the black pair with the buckles, simply because they made him look dead sexy, and took them out of the room, off to find his rather strange, leather-loving companion.

The older man was still looking at jackets when Cloud poked him in the shoulder with a claw. "I'm getting these." Squall grunted in recognition, flipping through the clothing racks. The blonde shifted from foot to foot impatiently as the taller man continued rifling through the garments, ignoring him.

"Are you _done_ yet?" he asked five minutes later, getting rather fed up watching Leon browse.

"No."

Cloud huffed grumpily.

"You're taking too _long_," the blonde growled.

"Whatever." The brunette turned from the jacket racks to a jewelry rack, sifting through gorgeous - and _expensive_, Cloud thought, catching one 500 munny tag - silver chains adorned with charms, gems, and other needless baubles.

"I don't need jewelry," Cloud said. Leon shrugged and kept looking, gazing at a necklace with a chunky charm of an angel's wing, weighing it in his palm. The blonde frowned when he saw the pendant, sighing inwardly as he was reminded of Sephiroth.

…but Leon had angel wings on the back of his jacket… which was sort of weird, Cloud figured, since everything else the older man had was lions and more lions.

…maybe the brunette had a thing for chimeras… maybe…

"I'm leaving, then," Cloud announced, bored with the odd path his mind wandered, and walked towards the counter.

After he paid for the goods, he walked out of the store, straining his eyes for any sign of a _normal_ clothing store. The man needed all the other necessities a leather shop couldn't possibly provide. Cloud didn't even realize how intently his search was until a hard smack on the arm courtesy of Leon brought him back to reality.

"What?"

"What are you looking for?" the other man asked, ever-present boredom in his voice.

"I need _normal_ clothes," Cloud responded, picking at his dirty SOLDIER-style turtleneck. He noticed Leon's unenthusiastic expression and grunted. "Just point me there and go home, if you want. I'm a big boy, I'll be fine by myself."

[…gods, he'd be a lot hotter if he wasn't such a **prick**.]

Squall didn't speak and just walked, to Cloud's relief, to a store where he stocked up on shirts, socks, and boxers, grimacing as he thought about how long he'd been wearing the pair he had on…

"You can't wear those under leather," the older man noted, gesturing towards the boxers.

Cloud raised an eyebrow. "…you're telling me I have to go _commando_ in these?" Leon nodded and the blonde let out a long, dragged out sigh. _[Information you should've given me sooner…,]_ his eyes flitted downward and smirked.

[But it's **great **to know your situation, Leon.]

Finished with the shopping for the day, the brunette asked, "what're you going to do now?"

Cloud sighed and scratched the back of his head, "that all depends on what time it is."

The gunblade wielder looked at his watch and shrugged. "Late. Shops are open nearly 24 hours here."

Cloud tilted his head to the side, snorting. Obviously the shops would be open for that long… one couldn't tell what time it was unless there was a clock present, days and nights were all the same. It was weird, but then again, so was Midgar…

The blonde spotted a bar down the street, overflowing with other insomniac inhabitants of Traverse Town, and promptly perked up an eyebrow. So, naturally, the blue-eyed blonde responded with the best answer he could come up with.

"I am gonna go over there," he said, pointing towards the pub, "and get fucking sloshed." He glanced at Leon with a little smirk. "Wanna come?"

The brunette looked from Cloud, to the pub, and finally back to the blonde, boredly pushing some hair out of his eyes. With his head tilted to the side, Leon asked while shrugging, "you buying?"

"I guess. You coming?"

Deciding against better judgment, Leon nodded briskly. "Yes."

The blonde grinned widely, trying to remember the last time he got piss-drunk - more specifically, the last time he got piss-drunk with such a damn good-looking dude… which led to thoughts of other things…

Once in the bar, they unanimously decided on a booth in the back corner. The place wasn't too bad, Cloud figured, sparing a look around. It was dark inside, as expected from such a place, but it was clean with polished maple tables and counters, black leather upholstering on the booths and stools, and, as a definite plus, it didn't smell like vomit. It was cozy, actually, and had a nice atmosphere, sort-of like Tifa's Seventh Heaven…

Before Cloud had the chance to get depressed over his lost childhood friend, he snickered childishly as Leon slid into the booth, eliciting a squeaking noise from leather on leather. The older man rolled his eyes.

A waitress sauntered up to them, a pretty, petite blonde with kind green eyes, and smiled genuinely at them as they ordered their drinks of choice - Leon, whiskey, straight-up, and Cloud an entire bottle of vodka… with a double shot glass. The waitress abandoned them not too long after a bit of requisite flirting, leaving the men to their own devices.

"So, what's your story?" the leather-clad man asked as leaned back into the booth.

Cloud raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" Leon shrugged.

"Why are you in Traverse Town?"

"Why not? It _is_ a place for refugees."

The brunette crossed his arms, the straps on his left digging into his finely muscled forearms. "If you were a refugee you'd've been here sooner, and probably either with the girls or Cid." Leon raised an eyebrow, setting his steely blue eyes on the blonde.

"Besides, Sora said he met you in the Coliseum." The man lowered his voice and leaned forward. "Deal with Hades?"

Cloud grunted as the waitress came back, setting their drinks down. He poured himself a shot and slammed it back swiftly, grimacing at the sharp bite of alcohol. "…he told you that?" The brunette nodded. "Did he tell anyone else?"

"No."

The blonde sighed, agitated Sora had told Leon his business, but grateful Aerith and the other two were still in the dark. Not that it really mattered, he guessed, since they were probably going to find out sooner or later… but then he'd have to explain why he had the contract in the first place to Cid and Yuffie, and they'd ask questions, and it would end up being one huge mess, he knew it.

"Why do you care?" Cloud muttered, fingering the lip of his glass.

"Because you come here with the _Keybearer _after you had a _contract _with the _god of the Underworld_," the gunblade master replied coldly, "you think that's _not _grounds for me to ask?"

__

[Bastard…] "What do you want me to do, apologize?"

Leon tilted his head and frowned, the scar on his face creasing. "An explanation would do." Cloud sighed again, taking another shot of vodka.

"You'll listen and not _judge _me?"

"If I didn't say 'tell it to a wall', it means I want you to talk," Leon responded, monotonously. "I did _ask _you, after all."

__

[…there's that 'wall' shit again…] "Fine," the blonde muttered, "but you better not tell anyone else."

"Whatever." Cloud rolled his eyes.

"Okay… I'm looking for my… for someone." The blonde shrugged and finished quickly, "Hades said he would help, I signed a contract, got screwed, the end."

The brunette raised an eyebrow. "That's it?"

Cloud tilted his head back and crossed his arms. "The condensed version, yeah."

"So you're not in contract anymore?" The younger man shook his head.

"I told you, I got screwed."

Leon's gaze never strayed from the diminutive warrior across from him. "What did you have to do?"

__

[Oh, you know… kill innocent people… ordered to kill Sora. By the way, I was supposed kill Hercules, too. You know, nothing really major.] "I don't want to talk about it."

"You think I'm letting you off that easily?"

"What do you think you can do, beat it out of me?" the younger one accosted, "it's in the past now. It doesn't matter what I _had_ to do, only that I'm not going to do it again, so drop it."

Leon took a sip of his drink and conceded, watching Cloud knock back another shot. The blonde wiped his mouth with the back of one hand before licking his lips with a short grimace of distaste.

"That's a pretty unusual name… 'Cloud'…," Leon said after a while, quietly mocking him, one eyebrow lifted in partial amusement. "Awfully _girly_."

__

[What the hell was that for?!]

The blonde narrowed his eyes and delivered a swift kick to Leon's shin under the table. "Blow me, **_Squall_**," he sneered.

Squall growled menacingly. "It's _Leon_." He grunted as an afterthought, "and don't think I've never heard _that_ line before."

The mercenary waved his clawed hand dismissively, rolling his eyes. "Tell it to a wall."

Leon banged a balled fist on the table and went on to fell silent, to which Cloud smirked in satisfaction. Raising an eyebrow, Cloud asked innocently, "what, you can't handle your own banal retort?"

The younger one chuckled despite himself and drank down another shot of vodka, grimacing, and coughed for a moment as the liquid slid down his throat, burning a trail as it traveled. "Gods, that shit's nasty."

"Then why do you drink it?" the gunblade wielder questioned, tone bored, and very much apathetic. Briefly he wondered why he was there with the blonde in the first place if Cloud wouldn't explain himself any further - and the two of them getting drunk, no less - before he remembered.

Cloud was paying.

Without finishing the drink he already had, Leon waved the pretty waitress over again, ordering himself three more rounds. She looked at him questioningly before shuffling off to fetch his rather large order.

"You look bored," Cloud commented, knocking back his seventh - eighth? - shot. Immediately afterwards he picked up the bottle and refilled his glass.

Leon lowered an eyebrow. "You look _drunk_."

"Well, I'm _not_."

The brunette tilted his head and sniffed. "And how is that possible?" he asked, watching Cloud's alcohol consumption soar. "You don't seem the 'high tolerance' type." A smirk graced his lips, adding, "you're awfully small."

Cloud rolled his eyes, sighing. "Oh, how bitingly original," he grunted, pouring another shot down his throat. "Besides, it's the Mako that keeps my tolerance so high, not my size, so shut it." With a shrug, he lowered his eyes, running a finger on the rim of his glass. "If I could make the process faster, I would, but until then…," he trailed off. "Why, you planning on taking advantage of me?" Cloud added, trying to hold back a grin.

The ex-SeeD rolled his eyes. "Not interested," he answered simply as Cloud frowned. He drank some of his whiskey and said, "you mentioned 'Mako'. What is that?"

"It's… a substance from my home," the blonde started, figuring he may as well explain it since they really had nothing _else_ to talk about… "Raw form is this stuff, Lifestream, which… basically supports—" Cloud paused, "…_supported_… the entire Planet."

Cloud let out a bitter laugh and shook his head. "Ironic it's called 'Lifestream', though," he murmured, not allowing Leon to question. "You fall in it in its pure form, you get Mako poisoning… if you get too much _refined_ Mako, you get Mako poisoning." He paused to take a drink. "If you don't get treated for the poisoning, you can die. And when you die," he said, spreading his hands, "you return to the Planet. Or, to be more exact, the Lifestream."

The mercenary shook his head and sighed. "A vicious cycle. Plus it's painful, deadly… all those wonderful things being poisoned entails."

Leon listened intently. "You've gone through it before?"

"_Twice_!"

"Really." The brunette pushed a lock of hair behind his ear. "But, that wasn't my question."

"I'm getting to that," Cloud muttered, waving his hand. He put his elbows on the table and leaned forward. "Anyway, I _can_ get drunk, it just takes… a lot of booze."

[…gods you're sexy.]

"The Mako - Mako is processed Lifestream, by the way - infusions dull toxins in the bloodstream and bumps up immunity. It's actually not too bad, in battle."

Leon brought his brows together. "And… why are you infused with Mako?"

The blonde raised his hand, summoning the waitress and ordering another bottle of vodka. "It's kind of a long story."

"Are you drunk yet?"

"I'm a little buzzed." Cloud jerked his chin towards the older man and grinned. "Are you?"

"Getting there," he replied, shrugging. "So we still have time for your story."

"Why don't we talk about _you_," the blonde said, eyebrow raised.

[How old are you, where'd you grow up, got any hobbies, wanna fuck?]

"I don't want to talk."

Cloud narrowed his eyes, leaning forward. "Why not?"

"I don't _want_ to," Leon growled.

"Geez, touch-Y."

"…whatever."

The mercenary shook his head, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. "What was I on again?"

Leon raised an eyebrow at Cloud's flushing face. "Infusions."

"Oh." He drank the last of the vodka in the first bottle and cracked open the second. "One fucking liter and I'm barely buzzed," Cloud muttered, tossing the empty off to the side. "Alright. Mako infusions hurt. A _lot_."

The brunette rolled his eyes. "Infusions usually do, Mako or no."

"Whatever. Well, the infusions are standard procedure for candidates that make it into this program, SOLDIER. The higher the rank, the more the Mako." Cloud lifted a finger, pulling down his lower eyelid. "You see anything weird about my eyes?"

Leon stood and leaned forward until he was inches away from the blonde.

[Oh gods oh gods so fucking **hot**… you know how **hot** you are…?!]

The older man's steely blue eyes flitted back and forth, examining Cloud's glittering sapphires. Leon's eyebrows furrowed, face deep in concentration as butterflies fluttered up in the mercenary's stomach. The blonde blushed a little deeper.

[Thankfully I can blame it on the alcohol… gods… so **hot**… I could **kiss** him right now…]

"They look like they glow," the brunette announced, startling Cloud from his thoughts. He felt a tiny twinge of disappointment when Leon actually moved away to sit back down, squeaking again.

The younger man unconsciously licked his lips. "Um… oh. Yeah." He made a face and quickly slammed back yet another drink, still unable to do so without grimacing. "…ugh. You want some?"

"No thanks," Leon answered crisply. "Why do they glow?"

"Effect of the infusion."

The gunblade master crossed his arms, leaning back into the booth. "So you were a SOLDIER?"

"No," Cloud murmured sadly, eyes staring down at the table. "I'm just the result of a five year science experiment."

Leon's face screwed up in confusion, and the blonde shook his head, effectively cutting the older one off before he could start. "Don't ask. Long story short, I was tortured, abused, starved, and pumped up with more shit than I can name." He thought a moment and placed his palm on his forehead. "I don't even know why I'm telling you this."

[Sympathy fuck?]

"Alcohol loosens the tongue," the other man replied pointedly.

__

[I'd like to loosen **your** tongue.] "Right."

Leon took one hand from his arm, flinging it back in a gesture towards the vodka bottle. "Have another shot."

"Why?" Cloud asked, curious. Leon shrugged. "Why don't _you_ have a shot?" _[…so you get drunk and we can go at it like animals.]_

"I don't want one."

Cloud frowned. "Why the hell not?" The brunette shrugged again.

"I'm drinking slow."

"You suck, Squall."

"_Leon_," the ex-SeeD shot back.

The blonde rolled his eyes. "You should get that stick from your ass, _Leon_." Cloud grinned despite himself, thinking naughty thoughts.

[I'm… fuckin' **horny**… fuckin' alcohol…] Cloud frowned._ […dammit, Seph, get your ass back to me and **soon**…]_

"Tell it to a wall." The younger man took four shots in rapid succession, and his buzz deepening.

"No, I'm telling it to a _Squall_," he shouted, snorting with laughter.

Leon raised his eyebrow questioningly. He sighed and shook his head, finally finishing his first whiskey before starting in on another. "I don't know whether to laugh or cry for you."

"There's something else you could do for me," Cloud murmured into his glass.

The brunette smirked. "I think I'll pass."

__

[Damn.]

An hour later, Cloud stumbled drunkenly out of the bar, arms wrapped securely around an equally hammered Leon's slender waist, shopping bags dragging behind him - hooked onto his ankle with a complete disregard for the consequences. The blonde rested his cheek against the older man's back, his red cheeks soaking up the coolness of the material, and sighed, nice and drunk for the night.

Carefully the two of them made their way back to Leon's small house not too far away - still in the Third District - and, _somehow_, managing to make it through without encountering any bothersome Heartless.

__

[…it's the booze-stench…]

After several fruitless tries Squall managed to unlock the door to his humble abode, the diminutive ex-SOLDIER in tow, and still latched rather tightly around his waist. The brunette absently kicked the door shut as the smaller man stumbled forward, accidentally slamming Leon's stomach into a counter as he wiggled the bags off his foot.

"Ngh… Cloud… yer gonna make m' puke…" he mumbled, weakly grabbing at the blonde's arms.

"Shu'up… comfy," Cloud responded, attempting to tighten his hold.

The drunken gunblade wielder swung his foot backwards haphazardly, managing to connect solidly with Cloud's shin, successfully forcing him to loosen his grip momentarily. Taking this to his advantage, the older man turned around to grab Cloud's shoulders and pushed, _trying_ to release Cloud's hold.

"Lemme go," Leon half-ordered with a pout.

The blonde flashed a drunken smile at the taller man's feeble shoving, and instead of dropping his arms, pulled himself to Leon in a tight embrace, placing his face on his companion's chest.

"C'mon, le' go…"

"Nooo," came the drawled response. Cloud fell forward again, pinning the brunette to a counter, and grinned.

"Cloooooud…" Leon whined, pitifully. To this the blonde guffawed relentlessly, throwing in mocking jeers occasionally at the tone in the other man's voice. Cloud's knees buckled as he dropped backwards to the ground, dragging the brunette down on top of him.

"M' wingy!" the blonde cried during fits of giggles, shifting to get comfortable. Leon's palms rested on the floor, one on either side of Cloud's shoulders, and weakly attempted to pull away from Cloud's hold - surprisingly strong for a drunk guy - and up off the floor.

__

[Mmm… gods you smell good…]

The mercenary laid his head on the ground and gazed up at the - _beautifully_ - scarred man's visage, shaggy brown mane hanging in his face, and those usually clear grey-blue eyes closed in frustration.

"…soooo _pretty_, Squaaaaaaall," Cloud murmured childishly, brushing Leon's chest with his fingertips.

"_You're_ pretty," the older man responded - but meaning it as an insult.

Without warning, the blonde slid his hands up the other's back and forced him down, pressing his lips to Leon's in a sudden kiss.

The older one's eyes went wide as Cloud kissed him, the blonde sighing, tongue running along his lip. Leon was frozen and didn't respond, but… definitely felt the reaction the kiss was having on Cloud.

Cloud lightly clawed his way down Leon's back, hand finding its way onto the older man's backside. The gunblade wielder - dumbfounded - stared straight out in front of him as the Cloud writhed beneath him, letting his hand brush over the smooth leather of his pants to caress his thigh. Cloud's tongue snaked through his mouth and managed to force its way past Leon's lips, meeting nothing but the other man's clenched teeth.

Only when the blonde's hips surged up roughly did Squall manage to slip away from the other man's kiss and scramble backwards, breathing hard as he leaned against a cabinet for support, still staring.

"Wh… the _hell_…," Leon mumbled, covering his mouth with his hand, confusedly watching the blonde's heaving, lying form.

Cloud's hands fell to his sides, clacking his metal claws on the linoleum, eyes fixed on the ceiling as he asked, "…mm… _sexy_… where'd… you _go_…?"

"…over here," the older man mumbled, quite sure he was the 'sexy' Cloud spoke of.

"C'mere, 'm not _done_ with you," Cloud murmured, one hand moving in a drunken 'come hither' motion.

"No."

"C'mon…," the blonde whined, _attempting_ to writhe seductively on the ground, legs spread, "I _want _you so **_bad_**, Leon…"

"_Nooo_."

The blonde sat up, bracing himself on his elbows as his head lolled to one side, their blue eyes meeting. "_Why_?"

Squall reached up, rubbing his eyes with the heel of one hand. He shook his head. "No…"

A childish pout graced Cloud's lips, making him appear years younger than he already did. "You don' want me," the younger man said, more of a statement than a question.

The other man shook his head, pieces of hair swinging into his reddened, alcohol-addled eyes. "No."

Cloud huffed. "Why **_not_**?"

Leon squirmed, attempting to hoist himself up, and murmured, "don't… I _don't _like… **_boys_**."

The swordsman grunted. "You fuckin'… ngh… you… **_suck_**."

"Lemme alone..."

The blonde's head tilted to the side, and eagerly watched the other man get up and off the floor through heavily hooded eyes. "Yer ass… _Leon_… soooo fuckin'… _nice_… in yer… tight… fuckin' _leather_," he half-purred, half-giggled, and completely slurred. "…with _no_ **_undies_**…!" Cloud added with a very uncharacteristic squeal.

Leon unsteadily turned and stalked towards his bedroom, shaking his head, one gloved hand waving dismissively and the other resting on his forehead. "Shut _up_… 'm goin' to bed… shot…," the older one announced.

"C'n I come with you?" the blonde asked, drunkenly hopeful.

"No."

The swordsman flopped backwards, limbs splayed, and huffed out, "well, c'n I stay _here_?"

"'tever…" the older man answered, firmly shutting the door to his room as Cloud snorted. Minutes later, the diminutive blonde warrior blacked out, still laying on Leon's kitchen floor, wing crushed underneath him.

Cloud awoke later when a swift kick caught him in the side. The blonde groaned, cracking his eyes open, and grimaced at the aftertaste of alcohol still lingering in his mouth. The wing on his back again was on pins and needles as he shifted, closing his eyes again.

Another kick came a minute later.

"When I said you could stay here," a tired male voice began, sounding quite hung-over, "I thought you would sleep on the couch and not the floor." The blonde squinted, peering up at a bare-chested Leon clad in nothing but loose black pajama pants and a scowl.

[…well… hello there, sunshine.]

"What do you want?" Cloud asked raggedly, taking in the other man's form, partially wishing Leon would just go away and let him rest.

"I want to get to my fridge, will you _move_?"

Cloud looked behind him to find himself indeed laying in front of a large, white refrigerator. The mercenary groaned once more, rubbing his eyes with a fist. "I feel like shit," he muttered, pushing himself away from the fridge with his feet to slide carelessly across the floor.

"You should," Leon grunted, throwing the fridge door open to grab two tins of yogurt. "You drank two liters of vodka."

"That's it?"

The brunette raised his eyebrow in question and placed one of the yogurts on the table, grabbing two spoons from a drawer.

"Eat."

Leon didn't sit on a chair at the table for his breakfast - if yogurt could be considered 'breakfast' - , instead opting to eat it standing up and leaning on the same counter Cloud slammed his stomach into the night before.

The gunblade wielder sighed irritably when Cloud grimaced and said, "it'll settle your stomach. Don't complain."

"Tell it to a wall," the blonde muttered.

"Shut _up_ with that," Leon growled.

Cloud flipped him off before grumbling, "you started it." He stretched slightly, joints cracking as he did so, and yawned, making a face at his breath. "Can I shower here or something?"

The ex-SeeD smirked behind his spoon. "This may disappoint you, but my shampoo isn't watermelon." Cloud rolled his eyes and got up, wincing slightly as a stab of pain pierced his head. He stumbled blindly for a moment, and knocked into the table as Leon smirked.

"Need a little help?"

__

[Shower with me.] "…yes."

A shopping bag flew at his face, almost knocking him over, and Cloud frowned at the older man. "Stop that."

Leon rolled his eyes and led the blonde, yogurt in hand, down a hallway to his small bathroom, quickly pointed to a clean towel, and left.

__

[Dammit.]

While bathing, Cloud wondered why the other man hadn't yelled at him for the night before, stupidly kissing him like that. _[He said he didn't like boys,]_ the blonde thought, shaking his head as he sighed, turning his face into the water. _[He was awfully flirty, though.]_

[Well, as flirty as a stone-faced bastard could be. Maybe he's got something for men that look like 16-year old boys.] The blonde raised an eyebrow at the concept and smirked, washing his hair. [_Okay, **pretty** 16-year old boys… yeah, right, Cloud. Wishful thinking. But gods, is he… gorgeous.]_

Cloud winced slightly, looking up towards the ceiling. _[Sorry, Seph. I just… miss you.]_

The mercenary frowned as he shuffled through the bag, realizing the only pants he actually bought on the shopping trip were made of… leather.

He sighed, brutally ripped the tags from the dark red ones and slipped them on, squirming a bit, and a little more than slightly uncomfortable by the lack of boxer shorts underneath. Cloud looked down his body and his eyes bulged out upon realizing how… _low_… the pants actually _were_. His hipbones poked out just above the waistband, exposing a little too much below the navel… the blonde nearly choked.

[Oh… shit. The shirts I bought aren't even long enough to cover this mistake…]

"Whatever," the blonde muttered, tilting his head to examine himself in the mirror hanging on the back of the door.

Cloud wasn't narcissistic by any means, but he knew he was at least _attractive_. Slight frame, not too thin and not too muscular, body fitting nicely to his boyish face. The golden-blonde hair helped, contrasting with his deep blue eyes and lightly tanned skin, thanks to hours of outdoor training…

[I do look good in these, though.]

He raised an eyebrow and turned to the side, nodding appreciatively at the curve of his lower back down to his hips. His shape wasn't girly, but wasn't too blocky, either. It just… clicked.

…and the pants weren't _that_ bad, he supposed…

__

[…it makes me wonder how Leon knew what size would fit me best, though,] Cloud thought, smirking before his expression switched over to a frown.

[No… I was good looking before I had this wing,] he scoffed, considering himself utterly marred by the grotesque, intrusive limb. _[…I wonder if Traverse has a plastic surgeon in town that can hand—]_

Suddenly Cloud jumped, thoughts killed and mind startled by several quick, sharp raps on the door. The frazzled blonde walked over and yanked it open.

"_What_?"

Leon blinked a few times, examining the diminutive warrior in those dark red leather pants, shirtless, intriguing wing fully exposed, and flinched when he noticed Cloud watching him.

"Um."

The younger man tilted his head and smiled sweetly. "Yes?" Squall winced, confused by the tone. He cleared his throat before speaking again.

"Um…"

Cloud turned away to smirk before bending down, retrieving a shirt from the bag. He quickly chose a sleeveless, black, ribbed turtleneck sweater which very closely resembled the one from his SOLDIER uniform. The size could've been too big or too small, he figured, due to the damned demon's wing successfully preventing his trying it on at the store, and his own inability to remember what size clothing he actually _took_.

"So regal of you, Leon, just standing there gawking. Spit it out, already." Cloud frowned, shuffling through the medicine cabinet for something to cut the shirt with. "Do you have any scissors?"

The brunette blinked, looking as if the other man had asked him the last digit when defining pi. "…whatever." Leon turned around and walked away.

[Maybe I shouldn't have opened the door,] Cloud mused, his brain cackling wickedly.

He gave up on the search for scissors, instead using his claw to poke a line of holes in the back of the shirt, tearing a rip long enough to fit the wing through. After slipping it on, he realized the shirt was practically skin-tight and winced, giving himself a once-over in the mirror.

[I look like a slut,] Cloud sighed, _[and I don't have any shoes to match… wait, what the hell? I don't need matching shoes…]_ He shook his head, grabbing his dirty clothing and balling them up, placing them in the bag.

Leon came back then, armful of - leather - clothes in his arms, and shoved him out of the way. "Get out, I need a shower."

The blonde blinked. "Okay. I'm going to Aerith and Yuffie's, alright?"

The taller man waved a hand. "Yeah, great, get out."

Cloud's eyebrow shot up in confusion as he complied, hurriedly pulling on his boots and other nonsense accessories before leaving. _[Weirdo.]_

The blonde walked leisurely down the forever dark streets of Traverse Town, eyes keenly peeled on his surroundings, looking for any sign of either Sephiroth or Sora. The boy hadn't been gone for _too_ long, so far, but Cloud was still anxious to ask him questions… mainly, questions concerning a certain silver-haired ex-General who may or may not have been somewhere Sora had visited.

The blonde sighed grumpily, kicking at a pebble with the tip of his boot, and wondered if Cid would possibly loan him a Gummi ship for a while.

[Not that I can pilot the thing… he'd have to give me lessons, too.] Cloud groaned at the thought. The pilot's patience when training people to even fly the Highwind II - or even people in general - was painfully low… Cid barely tolerated the mistakes of the _intermediate_ pilots, let alone a complete _rookie_…

"Dang, Cloudy, you look… _good_," Yuffie commented as she bounded up behind him. "Who are _you_ trying to impress," she asked, elbowing him in the ribs, "_Aerith_?"

The mercenary shook his head, raking a hand absently through his hair. "No one, really…" He pointed to the pants and shrugged. "Leon picked these out, and I accidentally got a shirt a little too small for me."

The ninja winked and proceeded to nudge him again. "You do look really good, though."

Cloud blushed slightly, "knock it off…"

Yuffie rolled her eyes and smiled. "Blah, blah, blah." She tilted her head to the side and blinked, clearly confused. "So… where _were_ you last night, Spike?"

__

[Well, see, I passed out on Leon's floor… after I forced him to **kiss me**, of course.] "I stayed at Leon's. We got back late and I didn't want to wake you guys."

The Wutaian nodded, opening the door to her and Aerith's home. "Aerith! Come look at Spikey! He's so _cute_!" she squealed, clapping her hands. The flower girl stepped out of the kitchen, a cup of tea in hand, and smiled lightly at him.

"Very handsome," she commented, looking him over. "But I didn't think you'd be one for leather," she teased, "but I assume that was all Leon's fault?"

Cloud nodded. "The first store we went to."

"But you know," Yuffie said, giggling, "we _told _you Leon had good taste."

----------------------

__

A/N: Revised 5/10/04, added around 1500 words… fwee.

And another relatively pointless chapter on Cloud's behalf. Honestly, I STILL don't understand where that crap came from.

My apologies for the relatively short Seph half… but in all fairness, at that particular part in the game Riku's dealing with Kairi and all that… so… poor Seph gets to be all by himself and his crazy thoughts… and there's only so much a pretty man like him can think about. ::eyes dart:: Anyway.


	7. Part Six

****

Part Six

__

When your education x-ray  
cannot see under my skin.  
I won't tell you a damn thing  
that I could not tell my friends.  
------------------

Black and violets surrounded him, deathly cold biting into his leather-clad skin and sinking in bone-deep, numbing his nerves. Sephiroth was immersed in the seemingly endless void, Darkness swirling all around him, bubbling and fading only to resurge again. The portal he stepped through closed immediately after he crossed through to the other side, and the man saw nowhere to go, nothing to head for except an endless abyss of black.

He stepped forward, contacting the gelatinous floor of the vortex, boot clacking harshly despite the ground's seemingly aquatic nature, swirls of dark colors rippling beneath his heel. Another spike of cold spiked up his body as one foot contacted the ground, the chill darting straight through his leg and up to the knee before retracting, leaving behind a dull, numbing throb.

Sephiroth growled at the feeling before hastily pushing it aside to venture deeper into the void.

He couldn't tell exactly how far he'd walked, nor if he was making any progress at all to whatever location he should be. His surroundings hadn't changed in the slightest, still the same congealing mass of dark. His eyes flitted side to side as he stopped and listened, hearing nothing except for his heartbeat in his own ears. The place was completely silent, no trace of life save his own inside it.

The ex-General lowered his eyebrows, unsheathing the Masamune, its bright, silver blade a stark contrast to the colors of the abyss. Even in that place, his beloved sword shone bright, gleaming despite the lack of light, refracting what it could in the dark like a cat's eye.

Sephiroth held the Masamune out in front of him and stood at ready.

With the speed and grace of a panther, Sephiroth shot forward, slashing the sword in a wide upward arc, jumping up to put his weight behind it. He thrust the sword in front of him as he landed and twirled, hair flaring around him, and swung the blade upwards then down before returning to his original position, the sound of his motions cutting into the silence.

Dominant arm outstretched, the man jabbed and swiped the massive Masamune into the nothingness, feet carrying him deftly as he darted forward and back. Creaks of leather behind his knees echoing slightly, an eerie and foreign sound as Sephiroth danced dangerously with his beloved weapon.

The occasional grunt escaped his lips as he lashed out easily, skill gained from years of practice during his days in SOLDIER, training diligently for hours nearly every chance he got. The man was the best at what he did, his training sessions usually drawing hordes of admiring spectators that always applauded when he was finished.

Sephiroth lost track of time as he slipped into the familiar trance wielding the Masamune caused. The sword itself seemed to have a mind of its own, as well as a definite hold over its master when the hand landed on the hilt to release it from its prison.

The gleaming silvery-white blade had been custom made for him by request of Professor Hojo, a man who gave nothing but the best to his 'most precious specimen'. The only time Sephiroth had felt at all happy in the mad scientist's presence was the day Hojo bestowed upon him the precious gift of the Masamune, something Sephiroth cherished even more than his own life.

He was still quite young at the time he received the Masamune, a not-quite-awkward boy of sixteen, and a year shy of being promoted to General of the ShinRa military, the youngest in history, and, consequently, destined to be the greatest after the war. The Masamune was nearly two feet taller than himself at the time, but he managed to wield it with ease, being a SOLDIER First… the Buster Swords the rank used were much heavier, after all…

A deep voice broke Sephiroth from his reverie, sounding quite impressed. "Such grace… a beautiful display, truly."

Sephiroth spun, Masamune in hand. A deeply tanned man of roughly Sephiroth's height and a slightly more solid build stared back at him, arms crossed. The man's hair was long and neat, a pale shade of grey - nearly white - pulled back and away from his face, but spiked on the sides and top in a style which vaguely resembled demon's horns, eyes a frightening shade of amber so clear they nearly glowed, as if the man was also infused with Mako.

The clothes he wore were extravagant with their details, a long coat and outfit closely reminiscent of Sephiroth's own back during his days as General, the fabric in shades of grey and white and gold, chest vainly exposed. Sephiroth squinted, noticing the man bore a symbol of a black heart, crossed out with jagged red lines.

…the insignia of the Heartless.

Sephiroth scowled at the intruder; the man's voice was familiar, but he just couldn't place it… "Who are you?"

The man smiled broadly, perfect white teeth gleaming behind tanned lips, and spoke. "My name is Ansem. I am the seeker of Darkness," he proclaimed, arching his arms around him, gesturing throughout the void. "I must say, it is a pleasure to finally meet you in the flesh, Sephiroth."

"How do you know my name?" Sephiroth demanded, stepping forward.

Ansem arched a delicate white eyebrow and smirked. "You don't recognize me?" The silver-haired one shook his head, scowling. "How unfortunate. Perhaps you hadn't caught on as soon as I originally imagined."

Sephiroth's face darkened considerably as recognition dawned on him.

"_You_."

The other man smiled thinly. "Ah, a little hint was all you required."

"Why are you doing this to him?!" Sephiroth spat, Masamune poised and ready.

"I've done nothing to him," Ansem replied easily, "he opened his heart to the Darkness willingly."

Sephiroth's eyes narrowed to slits, face hard and stony. "You _lie_. You _fed_ him lies and showed him false 'truths'… used him, _forced_ him to join your side, you and Maleficent _both_."

The darker man gave Sephiroth a patronizing grin, clearly amused with the situation. "Oh?"

"Yes. I've seen it _all _before and I'll be _damned_if I allow it to happen to Riku." Sephiroth hissed his answer, fist white-knuckle on the hilt of his weapon.

"You're wrong in one respect… Maleficent is inconsequential, simply a puppet to aide the boy," the other man replied nonchalantly.

"Meaning, she's _your_ puppet as well…"

Ansem nodded. "She was only necessary for Riku to realize his true power, nothing more."

"Lies. 'True power'… _he's_ your puppet as _well_." Sephiroth growled dangerously. "What are you _doing_with him? Why is he so important to your plan? He's merely a _child_."

"Things you need not concern yourself with," the other man answered dismissively.

"_Tell_ me_._"

Ansem tilted his head to the side, small smile still gracing his lips. "On one condition… are you willing to give yourself over to the Darkness?" he asked, voice unsettlingly soothing.

"No."

"Pity." The white-haired man raised an eyebrow, re-crossing his arms. "Though by denying me, I cannot assure you of the boy's safety." Sephiroth again growled and took a step forward, slowly closing the gap between the tip of the Masamune and Ansem's neck.

Sephiroth's voice rumbled deep in his throat. "Don't you _dare_ touch him." Ansem simply smiled, ticking a finger.

"Threatening me will do you no good, Sephiroth," he mocked.

"Fool. I know _damn _well that you would not harm Riku if I do."

Ansem arched an eyebrow and smirked. "Is that so?"

The silver-haired man suddenly advanced, slashing at Ansem with the Masamune.

"Come, Guardian!" the white-haired man shouted, calling forth a large, dark creature which appeared before him, swinging his giant demon's arms outward. It easily deflected Sephiroth's attack, protecting the darker man safe from harm, and each following strike Sephiroth let loose was stopped, a bright white light erupting from the creature's skin whenever the blade made contact.

The beast lunged towards him with a feral growl, a large clawed paw lashing out in a wide, overextending arc. The blow knocked Sephiroth backwards, his stance faltering slightly but unsuccessful in thwarting his balance.

Sephiroth darted forward and slashed in rapid succession before taking a step back, thrusting the sword forward quickly. He dropped back seconds afterward when the attacks were again blocked, and began to summon the 'Fire Wall', as he dubbed it.

Guardian howled as the searing heat of the inferno scorched its already pitch-black skin, retreating like a beaten dog until the flame died down.

Again the ex-General shot forward, slashing at the beast in movements too fast for Guardian to catch. The creature snarled and flung itself forward, a massive clawed hand threshing out, and managed to strike the ex-General's face, ripping through the tender flesh of his cheek and drawing blood.

Sephiroth simply ignored the pain, slammed his sword into the beast's stomach and withdrew, the wound gushing blackened blood, staining the clean silver blade of the Masamune. That familiar tug on his cheek let the silver-haired man know the Mako and Jenova cells were doing their job, making their way to the gash and quickening his healing processes as his skin cells threaded together, dutifully repairing the wound.

With an enraged howl, Guardian rushed the man, claws readily outstretched. Sephiroth dodged the attack by nearly flying out of the way with one strong flap of his wing, swinging the sword upward to deflect the attack. He rolled until he was laying directly behind Ansem's protector and shot to his feet with the aid of his wing, then proceeded to slash the beast's back wide open, spilling even more of its dark, tainted blood. Sephiroth's foot slammed forward, knocking the creature several feet away.

Immediately Sephiroth turned on his heel and advanced on Ansem, the man merely floating in midair, watching the battle, arms crossed, and a complacent expression on his face.

The Masamune was raised and Sephiroth slashed viciously, but the white-haired man flew backward before the blade was able to make contact. Guardian bellowed at the attempted attack of its master and flung itself at the silver-haired man, infuriated.

The creature threw its entire force into the attack with a vicious snarl, ramming into Sephiroth hard enough to snap several bones and tearing feathers of the large angel's wing on his back. Sephiroth fell forward before smoothly performing a tuck-and-roll, a technique taught to even the lowest of ShinRa's military to brace the impact of a fall.

Sephiroth whirled around and went in to attack. Guardian rushed forward, whipping its arm to the side and crushing it into Sephiroth's heavily armored shoulder, almost pushing the ball out of its socket. The move caught him off-guard as Sephiroth's beloved weapon was tossed from his hands, landing far away from him as it was sucked into the Darkness.

The ex-General sneered before he spun, rushing at Ansem with wicked speed. In the blink of an eye, a black-gloved hand shot forward as Sephiroth snatched the other man's tanned throat, squeezing tightly.

"You are going to _die_," the paler one spat as he balled his fist and swung, crushing it into the other man's jaw. The punch connected solidly with a dull thud as Ansem's head jerked to the side, blood streaming from his newly split lip.

Guardian bellowed when his master was attacked and threatened. A massive clawed arm was raised, and the monster brutally slammed its ham-fisted hand into Sephiroth's side, forcing the man to release his grip from Ansem's neck as he was thrown aside, crumpling to the ground of the vortex, positive the massive blow managed to shatter a rib or two.

Sephiroth was paralyzed, half his body immersed in the sub-zero temperature of the Darkness. He struggled to move as Ansem calmly floated to his side before landing without making a sound, blood trickling from his lip. The white-haired man towered over a prone Sephiroth and sneered.

"Submit, Sephiroth," he ordered, voice stoic, betraying his expression.

Sephiroth glared up into gleaming amber eyes. "_No_," he replied with a menacing scowl. Ansem's arms were crossed with quiet grace as he dismissed Guardian, the creature dispersing into thin air.

"You have no choice but to submit," the darker man said with a smile, teeth stained with crimson. "Unless, of course, you _prefer_ something happen to Riku…"

"What will you do with him?!" Sephiroth demanded, growling fiercely. He could feel the broken bones and torn skin of his body rapidly repairing itself as he lay submerged in the Darkness.

The white-haired man's smile grew wider, reopening the wound on his mouth. A fresh ribbon of blood seeped out and slid down his throat, apparently going unnoticed. "Get on your feet and come with me," Ansem murmured, beckoning with a finger.

Sephiroth snarled and got up, no longer paralyzed, the Darkness' hold over his body withdrawing. He glared at the other man but withheld attack; though Sephiroth was quite deadly in unarmed, hand-to-hand combat, he was well aware had no chance in effectively battling Guardian without the Masamune.

"Will you behave?" the white-haired man asked, smirking slightly. The ex-General pursed his lips, clenching a fist at his side as he nodded, still glaring. "Good."

Suddenly Ansem flicked his wrist and the Darkness slowly shifted, changing its form. The black masses swirled violently, sprouting small tornadoes that spun and twisted around the void, seemingly pulling the Darkness into themselves, making it fade away as it lifted. Sephiroth blinked in confusion as he gaped at the unusual spectacle.

The receding blackness revealed a rather nicely furnished stateroom, filled with plush, high-backed chairs with matching sofas in a deep, rich crimson. Dark, floor-length draperies hung from large windows, tall vases stuffed with elegant floral sprays tucked into its corners.

He turned to catch sight of a large, stately oak desk standing against a far wall, flanking vast shelves of books - most of which appeared to be spiral-bound journals and other such documents.

Thick, expensive-looking area rugs sat on the floor, large classic paintings placed along deep red walls, and even one of Ansem himself. The room even had a bed as well, a wide four-poster with a canopy matching the color of the drapes, and stacked more pillows one would ever make use of.

Upon inspection of the room, Sephiroth noticed something very much out of place - a large doorway which spanned the entire length of floor to ceiling, set back against the wall alongside one of the bookcases, with a giant keyhole staring back at him. And even stranger still, the door apparently had no knob to open it…

Ansem noticed the silver-haired man staring at the door and frowned.

"You may never go in there," he stated firmly, "and you _will_ never go in there. If somehow manage to do so, I _will_find out and trust, the circumstances will be _dire_."

Sephiroth raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Oh?" He tilted his head to the side, eyes flitting about Ansem's form.

"Yes."

"And how, pray tell, might I be able to get in there?" The corners of Ansem's mouth quirked slightly out of anger. "Must I break the door down?" Sephiroth continued, blinking innocently. He gestured with one hand and added, "you've seen my strength. I could do it, as you are well aware."

"I am," Ansem growled. "But you _cannot_."

The silver-haired man felt a momentary lapse in sanity as sudden thoughts of Zack popped into his head… caused by the guilt he felt for Riku, Sephiroth was sure, though why… he couldn't tell. _He_ hadn't done anything to put Riku in his situation, he was merely an innocent bystander in the entire thing…

__

/…but I didn't do anything to stop it, now, did I?/

Unwittingly, Sephiroth took on his first friend's personality as his eyebrows shot up comically, suddenly quite amused. "Or is there a _giant key_?" he asked, a joking tone evident in his voice. "Those _giant keys_ seem so… _integral _to these worlds."

Ansem's eyes darkened. "You dare mock me," he muttered, more of a statement than a question.

The other man nodded briskly, a wide, out-of-place grin plastered on his angelic face. "Oh _yes_, I do **_dare _**mock you, my _kind **sir**_." Sephiroth blinked quickly and shook his head, placing a hand to his forehead in attempts to knock Zack into the far corner of his mind. That was definitely one of the last things he needed at that moment…

__

/Oh, I am losing it… again…/ He frowned slightly. _/Although, that key idea is plausible…/_

Ansem scowled at him as Sephiroth's eyes darted about the room, and the ex-General gasped as his gaze landed on the Masamune. Ansem made no protest as Sephiroth padded towards it and went on to pick it up, very nearly kissing his precious weapon.

"You cannot harm me in here, if you've plans on attacking."

__

/Oh, I do believe I can./ The silver-haired man took a few experimental swipes of the sword, snarling at Ansem. "And why not?"

"Would you honestly attempt hurting Riku?" the tanned one chided, arms crossed.

"How does all this have any connection with him?" Sephiroth questioned, narrowing his eyes, arms gesturing around the room.

Happy that the other man asked the question, Ansem beckoned him to a thick drape-covered window. His eyebrow raised as Sephiroth walked over, flinging the heavy curtain to the side.

Sephiroth's aqua eyes widened as he took a close look out the window, clutching the red fabric angrily. _/By the gods…?/_

He watched the scene unfold before his eyes, curiously looking down at the three from up high.

Sephiroth recognized Sora, standing at the entrance to Rising Falls with two animals flanking his sides. The boy's face was pained, eyebrows knitted together with his large blue eyes dull with anger, hands clutching tightly the Keyblade.

The boy's feathery teammate was sneering as best he could with his orange duckbill, both eyes narrowed dangerously, one arm raised and ready for attack with the other by his side, holding a mage's staff. The stupid-looking dog seemed much more lax but still quite mad, holding a large shield with a wicked spike gracing the middle right out in front of him.

Beside the group laid a hulking, purple-covered beast in a pool of blood, still, and no movement to speak of with the exception of the hitching rise and fall of its chest, or the occasional, very faint twitch of its tail.

Sephiroth turned to face Ansem, quietly watching the white-haired one as he followed the events outside the window. The ex-General's jaw slackened a bit before he hastily closed it, shifting his aqua eyes back towards the window once more.

__

/What **is** this…?/

"Stop!" Sora yelled in frustration. Sephiroth could feel the palpable anger, seemingly directed at himself, and flinched at the tone.

"So, you finally made it," a familiar voice replied, mockingly. The silver-haired man cringed as his head buzzed, the words coming through in waves which felt like they were emanating from his very being. "About time. I've been waiting for you."

The voice stopped as the scene tilted slightly, and Sephiroth thought he saw a piece of silver blow past his field of vision.

"We've always been rivals, haven't we? You've always pushed me as I've always pushed you."

__

/No…/

The brown-haired boy pouted, face faltering. "Riku…"

"You **_bastard_**!" Sephiroth screamed, whirling on Ansem, "what have you _done_?!"

__

"But it all ends here. There can't be two Keyblade masters…"

"Why are you making him do this?! He _loves_ that boy!" The silver-haired man's face burned a fiery red as he grabbed Ansem's collar, shaking him violently as he snarled, "_how_ are you making him do this?!"

__

"What are you talking about?"

"He is doing so of his own volition," came the other man's calm reply, amber eyes flashing.

__

"Let the Keyblade choose… its true master!"

"You LIE!" Sephiroth spat, once again punching the other man in the mouth. Ansem simply smiled.

The ground shook and vibrated as the silver-haired man's body was jerked violently back by an unseen force. Ansem's grin grew wider, an eyebrow raised, and easily focused his attention away.

Sephiroth choked out a gasp of pain, his entire body feeling as if it were being run through by thousands of Cactuar spikes. His knees gave out and he collapsed to the floor, searing with agony, fingers clawing at the polished floorboards. The silver-haired man's breath hitched up into his throat as he ventured, "what are you doing with me?"

Ansem pressed a finger to his lips and smirked to himself. "Nothing. It's merely a side effect."

__

/A side effect…?/

__

"Huh?" a voice squawked, followed by a string of incoherent obscenities.

__

"What?!" came a the second voice in a muffled, goofy-sounding tone.

"…of what?" Sephiroth croaked out, biting his lip.

The white-haired man turned to kneel next to Sephiroth's writhing body, watching as the ex-General curled his long, leather-bound legs up to his stomach, contorting his face into a tortured grimace. "You shall see soon enough."

__

"Maleficent was right," Riku's familiar voice rang, tone cocky.

/Gods, Maleficent… you rotten witch marionette…/

"You don't have what it takes to save Kairi. It's up to me."

Ansem smiled and spoke, fingertips gliding softly over Sephiroth's pale cheeks. "Only the Keyblade master can open the secret door… and change the world." The silver-haired man's eyes shot open, the other man's voice echoing outside the window and overlying Riku's.

"No…" Ansem grinned wickedly.

"My plan comes to fruition, Sephiroth, you should be happy for me," he murmured, disturbingly saccharine.

__

"But that's impossible! How did this happen? **I'm** the one who fought my way here with the **Keyblade**!" Sora replied Riku, disbelief clearly evident.

Sephiroth snarled, glaring daggers at the other man. "I will _kill_you for using Riku like this… mark my words…"

The white-haired man smirked, staring straight into Sephiroth's eyes as he answered through Riku. "You were just the delivery boy," he mocked, "sorry, your part's over now. Here, go play hero with _this_."

Pain subsiding, Sephiroth shifted, every muscle in his form aching terribly. He groaned and sat up, forcefully slapping the other man's hands away from his face as a wave of nausea washing through him. Sephiroth's head wobbled visibly on his neck and he raised a shaky palm to his forehead to steady himself. "I must know _why_… _why_ are you using Riku like this?"

__

/…how can I not see…?/

Ansem's amber eyes flashed angrily as he stood, growling. He stalked over to the window and pounded viciously against the glass. "What do you _want_?!" he snapped through Riku's lips, apparently at the duck and dog.

"_Answer_ me, Ansem!" Sephiroth growled.

__

"Gawrsh, we have 'ta follow the Keyblade!"

"Yeah! King's orders!"

"Your King is not _here_!" Ansem hissed, "I do _not_ want you to trail behind me. You are _not_ welcome to accompany me."

"Why are you using Riku?!"

__

"Wa-a-ah!!! We're just doing the mission! We **have **to follow the King's orders!!!" the squawking voice shot back.

__

"Uhm, D-Donald… that feller looks pretty anger-y, doncha think?"

__

"I don't **care**!! We have to obey the **King**!" Donald scolded.

Ansem's eyes were blazing with fury as his fists pounding on the windowpane, and to Sephiroth's surprise the glass hadn't shattered or cracked, despite its severe beating. He smirked to himself at the other man's vehement response to the tagalongs; the simple act of Sora's party joining Riku had the man nearly exploding.

Slowly, Ansem took a deep breath and answered, "you follow the orders of your King because he is just that - the ruler of your world. Is my assumption correct?"

__

"Erm… H'yuck! Ah-yup!"

"Am I safe to assume you would be obliged to follow the wishes of leaders of other worlds as well?" Ansem ground out, hands clawed on the drapes as he visibly fought to keep his composure.

__

"…whaddya think, Goofy?"

"Gawrsh, I dunno… we're supposda not muh… muh…"

__

"**MEDDLE**!!!" Donald screamed. Sephiroth winced at the shrill cry piercing his eardrums.

"In that case, you must respect _my_ wishes, as I am the ruler of _this_ world," Ansem responded coolly.

__

"But we gotta follow the Keyblade!" the duck - or at least, Sephiroth assumed - shrieked.

The silver-haired man growled, "_answer me, _Ansem!!"

Ansem punched the glass again, letting out a feral snarl as he whirled on the silver-haired ex-General and glared. Clearly unable to deal with two frustrations at once, the white-haired man turned back to the window and sneered. Sephiroth guessed Riku's face contorted as well.

"You rotten _bastard_, child-using son of a _bitch_!" Ansem ignored him and continued to glower.

__

"Uhm… how about we just… ya know… follow ya?" Goofy asked meekly. _"N-not too close, h'yuck…" _he added, very tentatively.

Sephiroth smirked, amused by Ansem's anger. "You realize they will not leave you be," he mocked, eyebrow raised. "At least, they haven't left so far… awfully determined to perform their duty, aren't they?"

The white-haired one growled at the Sephiroth's jeering tone, clenching his fists in frustration. Ansem then smiled and crossed his arms, forcing Riku to mimic his stance. He tilted his head to the side as he replied with, "fine, you may follow." He paused. "But if you are killed upon the way, you've only yourselves to blame." Turned to Sephiroth again, eyes narrowed, Ansem growled, "when I am having a conversation, do **_not_** interrupt."

The silver-haired man raised an eyebrow. "Do I send interference?" Ansem just sneered.

__

/So I do…,/ Sephiroth smiled thinly, _/information useful to me./_

__

/--You have no idea how right you are, Seph.--/

The silver-haired man blinked. _/…Zackary…?/_ Ansem stared at the other man's face, riddled with pure confusion as he stared off blankly into space.

__

/--I don't want to alarm ya, Seph, but Asshole - er, 'Ansem' - is staring at you with a pretty wonky look in his eyes…--/

"_What_?!" Sephiroth spat at the other man, visibly shaken by the intruding presence in his mind. Ansem tilted his head up, amber eyes boring into aqua.

The white-haired man crossed his arms across his chest and inhaled, puffing up, appearing larger and more menacing. "What was that look?" he asked, voice cold and demanding.

__

/…nothing truly, just a resurgence of voices in my head. It's actually quite blasé these days…/ "It was anger. Nothing more."

__

/--Wow, great answer, **sir**.--/

/Shut **up**, Knightblade…/

"Don't you have _things_ to do?" Sephiroth grunted, glaring at the other man. "Shouldn't you be out, pulling Riku's strings?" he hissed, balling his fists.

"A terrible hypocrite," Ansem muttered with a sigh, waving his hand dismissively. "I do realize what you're doing, Sephiroth."

"_Congratu**lations**_, do you want a fuckin' _cookie_?" Sephiroth shot back before clamping a hand over his mouth.

/Zackary, do **not** use me like this!/

/--C'mon, he deserved it!--/

Ansem blinked several times, shocked that the dignified ex-General would have spoken so ineloquently. "Excuse me?"

The silver-haired man shook his head, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. "Ignore me… being so near to you… I'm not feeling well."

/…thank you very much, **Zack**, I honestly **needed **that,/ Sephiroth thought sarcastically.

__

/--No prob.--/ Sephiroth could practically feel the crooked grin on the other man's face.

Ansem pursed his lips for a moment, simply watching the silver-haired man. Seconds later he spun towards the window again, grinning madly. "Come, Sephiroth. Let's enjoy our marvelous view."

The silver-haired man shivered at the disturbingly joyful tone in the other's voice. Standing slowly, Sephiroth strode over to the window and looked through, still quite disturbed by what he saw. He felt like he was invading the Riku's privacy by using the window as a vehicle to see through the teenager's eyes, observing the things Riku was with the tanned man tagging along, the boy unaware his body was being used as a vessel for Ansem's own gain.

__

/--You gotta get through that door over there, Seph, you know that, right?--/

/Why? What is it…?/

/--I… look, just trust me on this, okay?--/ Sephiroth sighed at the request and watched the scene unfold before him.

The small boy was left alone, standing inside Hollow Bastion's walls, a wooden training sword in his hand. He held the sword ready to strike, beads of sweat prickling on his brow. He was chewing on his bottom lip relentlessly, bruising it. A pang of guilt shot through Sephiroth at the sight of him.

"Quit while you can," Riku ordered. Sephiroth saw Sora's face falter momentarily, mouth taking on the semblance of a pout before he resumed chewing on his lip, nervously.

The younger boy shook his head. "No. Not without Kairi."

__

/--Can you feel it…?--/

__

/'Feel' what?/

/--Fuck, Seph, THAT!--/

The ground shook violently, nearly sending Sephiroth to his knees. He broke his eyes from the window to see Ansem bathed in a sickening green glow. His face bore pure malice and pain, burning fiercely, as he threw his head back and howled. The green burned brighter to a near-yellow, his body contorting, and very nearly ripping in two.

The other man's darkly tanned skin bubbled, pure black seeping out from his pores to run down his body and onto the floor. Ansem's screams became louder as he clenched his fists tightly, back arching impossibly far behind him.

Sephiroth stared in horror as Darkness poured from the man's body, through the floorboards and out of sight. His body twisted and snapped from side to side, wrenching in anguish as he bellowed until the mist around him glowed a bright, blinding white.

Sephiroth shielded his eyes, the light too much to bear as it filled the room, the air crackling, zapping louder than a Thundaga spell. Ansem's cries reached a pitch no mortal could have _possibly_ emitted before they abruptly stopped, and the man fell silent.

Sephiroth's eyes cracked opened when he felt the bright light dissipate. He saw the other man collapsed on the floor in a fetal position, breathing harsh and ragged, hitching in the back of his throat. But despite the obvious pain, the other man had a grotesque, overly satisfied smile plastered on his face.

"Soon, yes, I can feel it…," Ansem murmured, closing his eyes as an even more sickening grin spreading across his lips.

__

/--…well… **that** sounded awfully foreboding.--/

/**Shut **up, **Zack**./

------------------

"Ya gonna enter the tournament, Spike?"

The blonde blinked at the sudden question. "…what tournament?" Yuffie grinned widely, smacking him lightly on the arm.

"The _Hercules_ Cup, duh!" she replied, rolling her eyes. "Phil asked for you specifically, y'know. Got quite a reputation there, doncha?" the girl added, winking at a rather stupefied Cloud.

"…when did you talk to Phil?" he asked, eyebrow raised.

The ninja girl tilted her head to the side, blinking. "Duh, the last tournament he held. Remember? Me and Squall got our butts whupped by Sora?" Yuffie shook her head and chuckled. "Man, you shoulda seen Leon after he lost. He was _pissed_. Swore up a _storm_!" she cried, throwing her hands up in the air for emphasis.

Cloud scratched his head. "…I honestly don't remember you two leaving recently." The Wutaian blinked incredulously.

"…are you _high_?"

"What?" Cloud snorted, shaking his head. "No, I just don't _remember_." He frowned and knitted his brow. "…speaking of… how long have I been here now, Yuf?"

Yuffie put a finger on her chin, deep in thought. "Oh… about two weeks?"

"Already?!" the blonde nearly shrieked, dumbfounded. He buried his face in his hands and groaned.

[I haven't done **shit** to look for Seph…]

"Yep. It's 'cause you don't do anything but bum around," she teased, nudging Cloud with her elbow. She frowned when he didn't react in kind. "Hey, Spike? You alright?"

He sighed, waving his hand. "Yeah. Just thinking about things…" Without looking up, the blonde mumbled, "so when's the tournament?"

Yuffie squeaked. "Um… tomorrow?"

Cloud's head snapped up, eyes wide. "What?!" The ninja blinked then grinned sheepishly, blushing.

"…oopsy."

The blonde let out an exasperated sigh. "Phil asked if I was entering the tournament _when_?"

"Urkk… um… like… a week ago…" she answered, wincing slightly.

"And you told me about it _when_?"

Yuffie cringed, shoulders creeping up to cradle her head. "…five minutes ago…"

Cloud dropped his hands and sighed.

"You know, you're impossible, Yuf." The ninja girl nodded, making a face. The blonde grunted, lifting himself from the couch. "I'm gonna go…"

"Where?"

Cloud shrugged. "Out." He turned and left the small house, grumbling under his breath about absentminded teenage thieves.

The blonde warrior had growing feelings of worthlessness lately, all due to the general ease of life in Traverse Town… and he hadn't seen Sora since the boy dropped him off in the world full of refugees. The mercenary couldn't help but worry constantly about the little brunette. Something was deeply troubling him when it came to thoughts of Sora, but Cloud just couldn't put his finger on what it was…

Not to mention the lack of action also put Cloud on edge. He went out looking for Heartless every day, simply for a change in pace instead of with the intentions of keeping Traverse safe. Of course, he didn't need to, he figured, since Leon and Yuffie managed to keep the town clear when the Keybearer was missing in action.

Unfortunately, the Gizmo Shop was the only real place of interest for the blonde when he felt the urge - or, more specifically, the _need_ - for battle; the place was absolutely overrun with Heartless, and the sheer number alone was enough of a lure for him.

__

[…I think I miss the Coliseum…]

With a forlorn sigh, Cloud let his mind drift back to Leon… and then he remembered. The brunette, along with Yuffie, had left for the tournament the day after Cloud made a move on the scarred one…

Thinking back on it, to his great surprise, Squall hadn't mentioned the kiss at _all_, and the even _bigger_ shocker was the fact that he had even allowed the diminutive blonde to room with him, allowing Cloud a place to stay in his living room.

Naturally, all of Cloud's teammates silently questioned the stoic man's sudden show of hospitality, but - smartly, Cloud figured - never asked why he did so. The blonde himself personally believed it probably had something to do with the fact that he was nearly completely broke after the shopping trip, having paid 250 munny for the pants alone at that freakin' leather store, and it was all the ex-SeeD's fault.

Unexpected cordiality aside, Leon had also stunned Cloud when he asked the blonde if he wanted to go to the 'Secret' Waterway with him to practice. Aerith mentioned to him earlier that Leon was very reluctant to allow most other people into the place, and that wasn't just towards strangers - he was apparently that way even if he trusted them. With a chuckle, the flower girl said she _herself_ had to wait nearly two months before Leon shared the privacy of the waterway under Merlin's odd little house with her.

The blonde frowned when he thought of Aerith. She had been acting increasingly strange around him, and strangely distant, instead of talking to him she gave him longing stares before quickly excusing herself. Cloud imagined it had to do with issues from the past… he didn't doubt that whenever she saw Cloud she was reminded of Sephiroth…

Cloud didn't know of any way to help her through her anguish, though, if that truly was the case. Aerith knew he would _never_ say an unkind word to her about the man, considering she was well aware - even during the 'Calamity from the Skies' incident, as it were - that the blonde loved him.

He didn't push aside the fact that she still felt something for him, though. Aerith - …Aeris, rather… - had always been attracted to Cloud, he knew that much, but whether it was himself she found appealing, or the Zack in him…

Back then, she flirted with him constantly during their short time together as they all tracked down Sephiroth… and not to mention their date at the Gold Saucer. _That_ was awkward, to say the least… Cloud still recalled the event with a cringe. At the time, he didn't want to lead the girl on by going or give her any hope of a relationship beyond what they had already forged between them… but she had _literally_ dragged him out of the Ghost Hotel that night…

Cloud frowned; on that date, she said some cryptic things to him, and he only understood what she referred to after he took that plunge into the Lifestream, where Tifa had ultimately saved him…

The blonde sighed, pushing the sentiments of the past away, and focused on his current problem: he still had no clue where to look for Sephiroth.

The Gummi ship Cid loaned Leon and Yuffie for the flight to the Coliseum had been completely trashed - a direct result of a persistent ninja and an irritable gunblade wielder with a short fuse and no tolerance.

The way Cloud heard it, the girl had bothered Squall for a chance to pilot the aircraft back to Traverse Town and he ultimately gave in after a very long while of constant begging. Of course, he immediately regretting the decision as she ineloquently slammed into space rocks and endless Heartless craft for the whole two minutes Leon allowed her to drive.

As expected, Cid chewed the girl out for hours on end about responsibility and proper training before attempting to drive a Gummi ship.

Needless to say, Cid had barred anyone from driving any of his Gummis unless you happened to be Leon.

The ship was in fairly decent condition now that the pilot poured nearly a week straight into repairs, but Cloud didn't know if Cid would allow even _him_ to take a ship to the Coliseum - by himself, that was - for the tournament… which meant that if he was planning on going…

…well, he'd have to travel together with Leon.

The blonde grumbled as he kicked a pebble on the ground, absently making his way through Traverse Town. A few of the friendlier citizens waved at him as he walked by, somewhat recognizing him from the times he spent walking through town with Leon, but usually he didn't return the greetings.

Cloud raked a hand through his hair, resetting a fallen spike, and fingered the armor set at his hip. The man was bored out of his mind.

His eyes were fixed to the ground as he walked, hands stuffed in the pockets of his SOLDIER-issue pants, and didn't notice where he ended up minutes later, leading himself almost unconsciously to the so-called Secret Waterway where a gorgeous, scarred, blue-eyed sex-on-legs just-so-happened to be practicing.

"Hey."

Cloud waved dimly. "Hey."

"You want to spar?"

"Not really."

Leon shrugged and lifted his gunblade again. "Whatever."

Cloud - despite his impulses - rarely ever sparred with Squall. Usually, he opted to simply sit back on the sidelines and watch as the other man swung his large weapon in brutally heavy attacks, muscles flexing and contracting beneath his - rather tight - apparel, body breaking out in a fine sheen of sweat.

Sometimes Leon accidentally pulled the trigger and he would silently scold himself while making the cutest little frowning face the blonde had ever seen in his life. The gun never fired, of course, as the older man always emptied the barrel before practicing, but that never stopped the censuring once it got started.

And, to Cloud's quiet delight, the brunette happened to be making said cute little frowny face at that moment. Cloud smiled lightly behind his hand and pretended to scratch an itch on the tip of his nose until the smile faded.

…of course, Leon being the hypercritical man he was, the frown usually didn't fade for a long while after, therefore it always left Cloud with a rather large welt on his face.

__

[…nothing the Mako won't fix.]

"Are you participating in the tournament?" Leon asked, slinging the gunblade over his shoulder, finished with training for the day. His voice echoed off the thick stone walls of the cavern, and Cloud shivered.

__

[…wait.] "You knew about that, too?"

Leon nodded, placing a hand on his hip. "Yeah."

"…why didn't you tell me?"

"Yuffie said she'd take care of it." Cloud sighed, puffing a wayward spike out of his face.

"Do you know when she told me about it?" The older man shook his head. "A little over a half hour ago."

Leon made a face. "Ouch." He tilted his head, gesturing to Cloud with his chin. "So are you going?"

"I don't think I can." The brunette raised an eyebrow.

"Why?"

Cloud blinked, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. "No ride."

The other man shrugged nonchalantly. "I can take you."

__

[…I wish you **would **take me.] The blonde winced. _[Damn brain…]_ "You'd do that?"

Leon nodded. "Whatever."

The former SeeD made his way towards the cave's exit, belts dangling oh-so-sexily off his narrow hips, and shrugged. "Besides, there's nothing better to do," he smirked, "than watching you get your ass beat by the kid."

Cloud grunted. "How do you know he'll be there?"

"He's always at tournaments." Leon tilted his head slightly as he opened the Secret Waterway's gate. "I think he collects the cups… and don't ask me how, but he _always _wins them."

The two men walked through the Districts, heading towards Cid's for permission to borrow the Gummi Highwind… or quite possibly the Gummi Tiny Bronco, if the man was feeling generous enough, considering the Highwind still had some repairs to be made. Cloud groaned inwardly at the prospect of traveling in the Tiny Bronco.

The pilot painted the ship pink in homage to the one he had back on the Planet.

Leon and Cloud made the trek in relative silence as they usually did, both sets of blue - greyish, and bright as hell, respectively - eyes peeled for signs of Heartless that may be prowling the streets. Cloud's gaze, though, had a nasty tendency of straying away from the streets as he dropped back ever so slightly, watching Leon taking hard strides on the cobblestone in the tight pants the blonde was slowly obsessing about.

__

[Please get back soon, Seph… ass… **really** nice… ass…]

"Why are you walking so slow?" the older man asked, knitting his eyebrows.

Cloud blinked and jogged forward, not realizing he had simply stopped and stared as Leon waggled away. Scratching the corner of his eye with a finger, Cloud shrugged. "I'm tired." Squall looked skeptical but accepted the answer anyway.

"There's something I wanted to talk to you about," Leon said, nearing Cid's Gummi Garage.

__

[Really, now?] "What's up?"

The brunette clicked his tongue, tapping the flat edge of his gunblade on his shoulder. "I wanted to know if you want to join up with me in an upcoming tournament at the Coliseum."

Cloud tilted his head. "Why is that?"

"I was thinking… if I couldn't beat Sora on my own, and if I couldn't do it with Yuffie's help… if _you _happen to lose to him when you fight him tomorrow… maybe if you and I do it together…"

__

[I'd do it with you any day, Leon.]

"Fuck, I _gotta_ beat the kid _one_ of these days," Leon smirked, an eyebrow raised, oblivious to his companions train of deteriorating thought.

The blonde shrugged. "I guess." And abruptly, Cloud's eyes went impossibly wide as the other man actually… _smiled_.

"Great." He opened the door to Cid's garage, greeted only with the clanking sound of metal followed by a typical stream of curses. The two walked to the back of the shop to find the pilot hunched over a mutilated Flare-G, nursing a greasy thumb in his mouth.

"No fuckin' good piece of fuckin' shit **_engines_**," the oldest man muttered, rapping the side sharply with a wrench, and looked up in acknowledgement when Cloud cleared his throat. "Well, if it ain't the pretty-boys. Didn't think ya'd want to come back here, might make yer fuckin' _skirts _all grubby." Leon rolled his eyes.

"Gods, you're awfully nasty today, Cid," Cloud grumbled.

"You would be, too, if _you _were me. That fuckin' bitch in the General Store won't fuckin' sell me any goddamn cigarettes, and I'm outta fuckin' tea," the blonde pilot muttered. "And this fuckin' piece of **_shit_**!!" Cid stood up and kicked the Flare-G hard, toppling it over, where the engine nearly crushed his foot.

Leon crossed his arms, looking down at the gruff old man. "I guess this is a bad time to ask about borrowing a Gummi?" Cid glared at the brunette momentarily before snapping his fingers.

"Buy me some tea and cigs and I'll let ya _keep_ the goddamn thing."

The gunblade master raised an eyebrow. "That easy?"

__

[Never thought I'd say this…] "Don't blow it, Leon," Cloud grumbled, shoving the taller man towards the door. "We'll get them for you, Cid."

"Hurry the fuck up," came the reply as the pilot kicked the Flare-G again, denting a side.

Cloud sighed as they left the garage and tossed his head back, frustrated, and the brunette followed closely behind him, belt buckles clanking loudly together. "This sucks," the blonde muttered, grumpily.

"What's wrong with you?" Leon asked, making a face as he looked down at the relatively tiny blonde. Cloud shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Everything."

A brown eyebrow lowered. "Everything?"

Cloud sighed and dropped his head onto his chest, frowning deeper. "That's what I said."

He pulled the door to the General Store open, prompting a bell dangling above to jingle, to which Cloud cringed. The bell's sound was far too tinny, and produced a rather ugly sound. Frankly, he would've rather been greeted by a horde of Chocobos instead of _that_.

The shopkeeper trotted from behind a curtain to the back room, smiling cheerily at the two young men. "Hello!" she said, her tone overly friendly. "How can I help you gentlemen today?"

Cloud's eyes absently darted to rack containing bottles of lube and condoms before he shook his head, blushing. "Pack of cigarettes, please."

The grey-haired woman frowned, arms folding on her ample bosom. "For _you_, or for that disgusting _Highwind_?" she asked, her earlier cheer gone in mere seconds upon hearing the - healthy-looking - blond's request.

Leon stepped forward, raising his hand. "For me." He turned to walk down one of the aisles before grabbing a bag of tealeaves, tossing it onto the counter. "That too."

"…alright." She grabbed a pack of cigarettes from behind the counter, the picture of a smoking donkey printed on the front. "That'll be 25 munny, Mr. Leonhart."

The blonde blinked, shocked at the exorbitant amount of munny for a simple pack of cigarettes and some tea, but he didn't question as Leon handed the shopkeeper what she asked for, however. Her fixed gaze was on Cloud and was giving him the creeps.

Cloud quickly grabbed the items and started out the door.

"Tell Cid he _must_ apologize before I sell him those provisions again," the woman said curtly, giving the men a short nod before retreating to the back room. Cloud and Squall exchanged glances before shrugging, walking briskly back to the grumpy pilot's.

Cid was still cursing the faulty engine when the two men strode in the room, throwing their purchases at the older man and telling him what the shopkeeper said. "Took ya fuckin' long enough," he grunted before tearing into the cigarettes, popping one into his mouth. His demeanor immediately softened as he lit it, taking a deep drag with a contented sigh.

"Thanks," the pilot said after the initial puffs were taken, nicotine cravings softened.

"What did you do to that woman?" Leon asked, watching Cid as he proceeded to suck down half the cigarette in five seconds.

The oldest man glared at him. "Don't fuckin' worry about that." Leon held up his hands in concession.

"Which ship can we take?" Cloud ventured slowly after their little episode, praying for anything but the Tiny Bronco.

Cid thought a moment before replying. "The Tiny Bronco." The mercenary scowled. "And ya fuck 'er up, I'll kill ya."

"Should I laugh or be scared at that?" Cloud asked, only half-joking. The pilot actually _would_ do something as crazy as that if anyone hurt his 'baby', he knew it.

Cid raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Yer a smart kid, Spikey, figure it out." He narrowed his eyes as his face turned stony. "Pretty-boy number one's drivin', right?"

Cloud blinked, jerking a thumb towards Leon and a questioning gaze at Cid.

"Yeah, Spike. Gods, the past year _really_ fucked with yer head, huh?"

"What?"

"Ya weren't usually this _stupid_," the older blonde said with a harsh laugh, followed by a smoke-filled cough. The two other men grimaced as Cid went on to hack hard enough to bring up a blackened lung. When his breathing was back under control, Cid grabbed a new cigarette and shoved it into his lips.

"Y'all goin' to Olympus?"

Cloud threw his hands up into the air, exasperated. "Gods, did _everyone_ know about this but _me_?"

"Pretty much," Leon replied smoothly, shrugging. The blonde made a face and grunted.

"When're y'all leavin'?" Cid asked, wiping at his nose with a thumb. He seemed to have set his difficulties with the Flare-G aside for the time being, getting up to tinker with a Meteor-G which was tossed haphazardly on a worktable, parts strewn both on the table and on the floor.

__

[What a slob… just like his **real** home…] "Um…"

"As soon as possible," Leon cut in, "tonight, if Cloud's ready." The blonde blinked.

"I guess tonight would work… I don't really have a whole lot to pa—"

"Alright, keys're in the 'pit," the pilot interrupted, "and I'm serious when I say don't fuck around with 'er." Cid brought his eyebrows together, holding up a small piece of the laser in the light, and muttered, "the fuck is _this_?" The oldest one made a quick, disturbed face and shrugged, carelessly throwing the piece over his shoulder before he looked up at the other two men.

"Why the fuck you still _here_? _Go_."

Cloud shot Cid a confused, sidelong glance. "Bye, then." The pilot waved dismissively.

"Yeah, don't fuckin' die."

The two younger men left and quickly went back to Leon's, where Cloud packed a few necessities - a simple pair of pants to sleep in, boxers, his SOLDIER turtleneck, and a few random belts he hadn't bothered to put on when he woke.

After the blonde and Leon were all packed, they left for Yuffie's to say their goodbyes, and the girls escorted them to the Tiny Bronco.

"Cloud," Aerith started as he threw his pack into the Gummi, "I have something for you."

Cloud tilted his head, eyebrow raised, as he watched the pink-clad girl smile and pull something from her pocket.

"It's a keychain I keep on me… it's my good luck charm."

"Oh… thanks, Aerith," he said as she put a little, gunmetal-dark keychain in his hand, closing his fingers over it to make a fist. She nodded and smiled before giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.

The blonde backed away chuckled as he opened his hand, surprised to find a little metal Chocobo figurine staring back at him from the bed of his palm.

"I know it's a silly thing," she said, shaking her head, "but I just… wanted you to take it." Her emerald eyes twinkled as she added, "I don't think I need it anymore."

Yuffie balled her hands and placed them on her hips, shooting Leon a death glare. "You better not expect anything from _me_, Squall."

"Leon." He looked at the blonde, gesturing towards the Tiny Bronco. "Ready?"

Cloud nodded, then turned and bowed politely to the two girls, placing the little Chocobo in his pocket. Leon's lips quirked into a quick, small smile at the blonde's back. He shook his head and blinked, placing a palm to his forehead as if he was losing his mind.

Leon's cold blue eyes made their way towards Cloud again, then over to the teenage ninja. He bit his bottom lip, shifting his weight nervously before Leon let out a grunt and, after a short deliberation, grabbed Yuffie roughly by the shoulders, pulling her into a chaste - but convincing - kiss on the lips.

The blonde's eyes went wide as he watched, shocked beyond words. After all, Leon barely seemed to _tolerate_ Yuffie, let alone _like_ her…

When the ex-SeeD stopped, he pushed the girl away, _hard_, and quickly started for the Gummi ship. "_Come on_," Leon barked as he grumpily boarded the ship.

The former materia thief's jaw dropped as she turned to stare blankly at an equally surprised, gaping, Cloud. "…well… _that_ was unexpected…"

Cloud looked from Yuffie to Aerith - whose eyes held a little sparkle of hope for her own parting kiss - and shrugged as he gave the girls a short wave of his claw. "See you two after the tournament."

The blonde just disregarded the small look of disappointment in the flower girl's eyes and made his way for the Tiny Bronco.

"Good luck!" Yuffie squealed, bouncing as the two departed. Aerith's lips pulled into a thin smile.

"Yes, good luck."

----------------------

__

A/N: Revised on 5/11/04, added 1200 words… and god, Ansem's so fuckin' **creepy**…

That Sephiroth/Guardian fight scene wouldn't let me sleep 'til it came out. It was seriously driving me insane. ::eye twitches::

Also… uh, for those of you who haven't played FFVII: I apologize for adding Zack into the story. .

To those who **have **and **know **who I'm talking about: the inclusion of him in this fic will make sense **eventually**, 'kay? Plus, a little comic relief is never a bad thing, right? ;

…besides… Seph saying random shit way OOC and getting weird stares from that freak Ansem? Priceless.


	8. Part Seven

**__**

WARNING: This chapter contains NON-CON YAOI/RAPE. Sephiroth's half is DARK. If you have objections to this, don't read it, and skip straight to Cloud's.

****

Part Seven

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Now roaming through this darkness  
I'm alive but I'm alone.  
Part of me is fighting this  
but part of me is gone.  
------------------

/--…c'mon, just do it…--/

/**NO**, Zackary./

/--Come on!--/ Zack went on, voice childish, _/--it'll be fu-u-un.--/_

/Perhaps, but will it be of any use?/

Mentally, Zack scratched his head and coughed. _/--…no, probably not… considering he's doing everything mental… and stuff…--/_

/Then what, pray tell, would be the point?/

/--…because,--/ the deceased SOLDIER muttered, _/--it would be FUN, I said.--/_

Sephiroth sighed heavily and looked at Ansem's curled form on the floor, murmuring softly to himself, and the silver-haired man had to listen to Riku speaking the words as well. It was disconcerting, and he hated it…

The teenager - or Ansem, rather - was in the middle of what seemed to be a rather heated battle with Sora and his companions; and, by the way the room shook, rumbling and buzzing violently, and how the white-haired man occasionally grimaced in anguish, Sephiroth deduced - and _hoped_ - the younger teen was winning.

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/--KICK HIM!--/

/Zackary, STOP./

Sephiroth growled inwardly, the room's constant jostling along with his ex-Lieutenant General's pleas to assault a prone Ansem nearly breaking his - somewhat - calm exterior. He had fleeting thoughts of attacking the giant door with the Masamune, but Zack assured him it wouldn't have done any good… at least until the time was - cliché as it sounded to Sephiroth's ears - 'right'.

And, surprisingly, neither was for the idea of decapitating the other man while he lay defenseless, either; given the control Ansem held over Riku's body, they couldn't even imagine what possible consequences such an action would bring.

But, nevertheless, the black-haired ex-SOLDIER _did_ want to resort to petty attacks… simply for amusement.

And instead of trying to help Sephiroth do anything productive, he was merely trying to get a rise out of him - admittedly - for his own entertainment more than anything else, since, as he told his friend, 'screwing around is all we can really do right now'. But Sephiroth wasn't exactly in the _mood_ for 'screwing around'.

He looked over to Ansem as he writhed on the floor, and snarled as he watched the tanned one. Sephiroth was growing to hate the man more and more…

Resisting the urge to spit on the white-haired man, Sephiroth turned abruptly and approached the strange, large door, and got the Masamune ready.

__

/--Seph, not right **now**… you're going to get **hurt**… its not time to do this yet, listen to me… if you do—--/

"Hurt. I don't care, anything is better than being in this prison with _him_," Sephiroth muttered under his breath, cutting his friend off as he brought the giant sword up and viciously slashed at the door.

Sparks flew down the blade and right through the hilt, shooting straight up Sephiroth's arm, numbing it as it traveled directly into his heart.

__

/--SEPH!!--/

He fell to his knees, hand clamped over his chest, a pitiful cry of pain gasped out. Sephiroth felt as if his heart was being torn to shreds while being both seared and frozen at the same time. His heartbeat was irregular and his blood ran ice cold, a gradual, throbbing ache pounding building in Sephiroth's head in time to the thumps in his breast.

"Know this…"

He slammed his fist into the floor repeatedly, bowing forward to his forehead rested against the ground, listening to the white-haired one as he began to talk. Sephiroth's breathing was ragged, lungs desperately begging for air as the man slowly choked from the immobilizing pain spreading through his upper body.

"The heart that is strong and true shall win the Keyblade…"

__

/Zack… what is he…?/

"What? You're saying my heart's weaker than his?"

/--See, you should've **listened** to me!--/ Sephiroth could nearly feel the one in his head tearing at his black spikes in frustration. _/--Now… shit… this can't be good…--/_

"For that instant it was," Ansem spoke, voice barely above a crazed whisper, clawing his fingers into the floorboards. "However, you can become stronger…"

__

/--Oh, fuck… get up, Seph, you gotta make him stop…--/

"I… I can't move…," Sephiroth managed to choke out. His body felt pinned to the floor and utterly paralyzed, the same way he had when in the Darkness earlier, only now it hurt much, much more, the pain gripping him to the core. His heart felt as if it was being crushed.

The white-haired man chuckled slightly, proud and breathless, and his voice came out quietly - so quiet, in fact, that had Sephiroth's hearing not been what it was, he never would have heard Ansem speaking at all. "You showed no fear in stepping through the door to Darkness… it held no terror for you…"

__

/--GET **UP**, SEPHIROTH!!! GET THE **FUCK **UP!!!--/

The ex-General shook his head, his heart convulsing, pounding hard in his chest before stopping for bare moments, then switching over to a rapid beating again. A lump the size of a fist was in his throat, slowly strangling him. His attempts to get up were futile at best, barely able to lift his head from the ground.

/I can't…/

"Plunge deeper into the Darkness…," Ansem choked out, a smile on his face.

/--Oh shit… no, no, **no**… Seph, get up. Get moving…oh… **fuck**…you can'tlet him do this, Seph!!--/

"…and your heart will grow even stronger."

"…_Zack_…_ary_…" _/What can I do…?/_

"What should I do?" came a small voice, sounding very fall away.

Sephiroth knew that voice, _knew_ it was Riku whom Ansem was talking to…

He tried moving again, pulling his forehead across the floor, unable to lift it. He sucked in air through his mouth, chest moving shallowly at the desperate pulls. A gloved hand slipped from its position near his head on the floor, making him fall, face scraping on the wood.

"It's really quite simple… open yourself to the Darkness…"

__

/--Shit… Seph, come on… **please**, get up…--/

"I…," he paused, gasping in vain attempts to breathe, "…can't…"

__

/--Don't be so **WEAK**, get your ass **UP**!! Come on… fuck…--/

"That is all… let your heart, your being, become Darkness itself…," Ansem finished, a sinister grin spread on his face.

__

/--Gods… great, now we're fucked…--/

/…help me, Zack…/ Sephiroth loathed to show such a weakness, but he was held in place by an unseen force. He couldn't move; he felt crippled, numb to the core, and it hurt so badly…

The white-haired man's smile deepened and he writhed on the floor, limbs twitching violently, trembling. He darkened considerably, skin turning near-black before shifting to a bright green then back again. His body seemed to slowly break apart cell by cell, and dissipate, Ansem's body turning completely translucent for several moments, as it fading in and out in putrid shades of black and green.

__

/--…we may never get out now, Seph…--/

Ansem cried out shrilly and the room quaked again, phasing along with him into the black and purple vortex Sephiroth came through earlier. Everything around them pulsed and twisted like some sordid mass of living, breathing Darkness as Ansem changed along with it.

The pain surrounding Sephiroth's heart intensified, the organ practically screaming, threatening to burst with each shift of the room's form. The silver-haired man's eyes rolled back into his head as his body quaked in a sudden seizure.

"Do you see, Sephiroth…?" Ansem's voice rang out from the deepest regions of his mind.

Sephiroth's limbs flailed as his entire body jerked, eyes flitting back and forth rapidly. He saw flashes of Riku, then of Ansem, the boy screaming mutely, trying desperately to get away from the older man with the fiercely glowing, feral amber eyes. What Sephiroth saw was like a living slideshow, he had no doubts in his mind that this was all truly happening and not just a terrible scene his mind chose to unfold, evidenced by that feeling of dread lying like a rock in the pit of his stomach. His assumption proved correct when Zack started screaming in agony, right along with Riku as Ansem advanced on him.

__

/Yes… I see…/

__

/--No! **Seph**, **no**! **Don't** watch, **gods**, block it out **don't **WATCH!--/

But Sephiroth couldn't hear Zack's voice - instead, it was Riku's, begging him… _him_…

__

"Can you see…"

__

/…yes…/

Riku lashed out and screamed as the older man grabbed his arm and threw him roughly to the ground. He fought against Ansem as the man straddled his hips, pressing his knees on the boy's forearms. Ansem's left hand immersed itself into the boy's silver hair and yanked upwards, at the same time bending down to crush his lips against Riku's.

__

"…what you've done…?"

__

/--Gods, **PLEASE**, **don't** listen… **this is **not **your FAULT**!!--/ Sephiroth still wouldn't listen to him at all, and Zack couldn't seem to pull the ex-General's attention back to himself. The deceased SOLDIER had a sneaking suspicion that Ansem was only doing it to punish the silver-haired man, but for whatever reason…

/…no, it's all my fault…/

__

"…because you didn't submit…"

__

/…I should have complied…/

The boy bucked and thrashed his body underneath Ansem as the man snapped his head back, angered by Riku's relentless resistance. His free hand slashed at the Riku's face, leaving long, ragged marks from his nails on one pale cheek. Ansem bent forward to lick at the struggling teenager's bloodied cheeks and grinned maliciously. There was no turning back for Riku now and the boy knew it, but he sure as hell wasn't giving up without a fight.

Again Ansem brought the silver-haired teenager forward, taking his lips in for another brutal kiss. One quick, sharp tug to Riku's hair wrung a cry from the boy, granting the man's tongue full access to the mouth Ansem took advantage of within seconds. The teen's aqua eyes widened impossibly as his mind registered what was happening.

…but the last thing Ansem had expected was for the boy to answer to the kiss by gnashing his teeth into the invading muscle, uncaring of the older man's darkened blood spilling into his mouth.

Caught by surprise, Ansem ripped Riku's head back and snarled, the sting and coppery taste on his tongue disgusting, even to himself. In some ways it was funny how Riku was putting up quite a fight for one so supposedly willing to open himself to the Darkness… unfortunately, the foolish boy shouldn't have accepted the white-haired man's offer to become nothing but a mere vessel had he been so disinclined to face the inevitable consequences.

__

"But this could all end now, Sephiroth… that is, if you are willing to join me…"

Wherever he was, Zack felt as if he was being crushed, as if something was attempting to force him from Sephiroth's psyche, and it _hurt_… the pain distracted him beyond thinking, to even figure out why Ansem wanted Sephiroth in Darkness so badly… it made no sense, unless Ansem simply wanted to harness Sephiroth's power, turning him into a puppet as well.

__

"Know this… your lover possessed no qualms over his own submission…"

The words intrigued yet frightened him at the same time… had Cloud gone through a similar thing…? It hadn't even occurred to him that Hades could have been in league with the white-haired man… if Ansem used Hades to take _his_ Cloud in such a manner…

__

"…and I have the power to lead you to him," Ansem went on, even as his image's fist slammed into Riku's face, hard. The teenager was screaming to high heavens, but absolutely refused to allow himself the luxury of crying. To do so would have shown the white-haired man that he reached his breaking point, and Riku was not willing to prove that Ansem had won.

__

"This could all end now, and I could lead you to your heart's desire… your **possession**, if you submit… this is your **last chance**."

Tempting as the offer was, Sephiroth couldn't. He _couldn't_ do that again…

Sensing the negative reply was imminent, Ansem snarled and spat, _"so be it."_ The white-haired man went on to brutalize Riku repeatedly before Sephiroth's eyes until the teenager finally passed out, blood dripping from his nose and mouth, down the sides of his face to stain his lifeless silver hair.All of it, Sephiroth's punishment.

__

/--Fuck, no,--/ Zack keened, feeling remorse and anger and so many feelings well up inside of his friend,_ /--no, **this is **not **your fault**, Seph… block it, **please**, **Seph**, **no**…--/_

As it was before, Sephiroth couldn't hear him.

__

/…he suffers because of me…?/

__

"Yes… now do you feel that guilt, Sephiroth…?"

The silver-haired man swallowed thickly. _/…more than I can endure…/_

Zack was getting frantic. He could feel Sephiroth slipping away from him, receding back into the ventures of his own mind, consuming himself with his own guilt. Sephiroth was going to go insane if it went on for much longer… he had to snap him _out_ of it.

__

/--Don't **feel guilty**, Seph, you didn't do this! Don't **feel pain**…** please** **Seph**.** Please stop **listening… **stop **watching this, Sephiroth!--/

Still, Sephiroth watched, unable to tear his eyes away.

With Riku unconscious, Ansem tore off the younger one's pants and then his own, pushing up one of Riku's legs. Carefully, Ansem steadied Riku's hips before forcing himself into the smaller body, and proceeded to thrust, determined, again and again, Darkness seeping from the white-haired mans body to flow onto Riku's own as it lay prone. Ansem continued to violate him, snarling as he did it, the boy's form limp and weak and broken, blood mingling with the blackness from Ansem's being.

__

"…this boy is now mine, Sephiroth."

__

/…yours…?/

__

/--Shit… **Seph**… **stop**…--/

Ansem's entire body shuddered with his every movement. Sephiroth could _feel_ Riku's flesh tearing, could feel Ansem's grunts of grotesque contentment with mind-shattering clarity as he raped the teenager, used him to draw out all of the free will from Riku's body, replacing it with so much of that Darkness…

The man let out a feral growl that tore at Sephiroth's very being as his body shuddered violently, finally through with pounding into the small form beneath him. As he withdrew, Sephiroth watched with a sickening fascination when the Darkness began to infuse itself into Riku's deathly pale skin.

When the black was stood and fixed his clothing, then grabbed one of Riku's ankles before turning to face the silver-haired one's field of vision. "…he and I are now one… and you… _you_ are a fool."

The flashes stopped coming at the rapid pace, dying down to seconds-long intervals as Ansem turned, a grossly satisfied smile plastered on his wicked face. An finally, as the darker man walked away, Riku's limp body in tow, the flashes stopped completely.

__

/…I was too weak to stop him, Zackary…/

/--…Seph…--/ Zack didn't know what he could do to console him. He could feel the other man cracking… and that definitely wasn't good.

Feeling gradually returned to his self and Sephiroth snatched up the chance to suck in air greedily. He fell onto his back, wing be damned, as his chest heaved with every pull of oxygen, thoughts of Riku plaguing his mind. Without warning, Sephiroth buried his face in his hands, clutching at his hair as he let out a pained sob, the forgotten sensation of tears slipping past his eyes and over his cheeks.

Guilt… that was all he felt. Painful, consuming guilt. "Dear _gods_, no… _Riku_, gods what have I _allowed_… Riku…"

Zack winced mentally. He never saw Sephiroth crying before… it was infinitely strange and even more disconcerting than he ever imagined possible.

Anguished cries passed his lips as the memories of Riku's violation surged up into his mind, over and over. If he only submitted, it could have all been avoided, no harm, no foul…

Sephiroth pulled at his hair hard enough to nearly tear flesh and draw blood, grief replacing itself with anger at himself and his own weakness. Maybe the Darkness wouldn't have been so bad… not if it would have saved him…

"Why couldn't I _stop _him?" the silver-haired man snarled to himself, "gods, this _hurts_… this pain _hurts_… please forgive me, Riku, I'm sorry… please forgive me…"

__

/--Sephiroth… you did NOT do this.--/

Softening back into sadness, Sephiroth went on pathetically, "I should have listened to you, Zackary… I should have… I _never_ should have… Riku…"

__

/--**SEPH**…--/

The silver-haired man closed his eyes. His entire body felt cold and lifeless, but he could still move, feel, hear, and see, but he didn't want any of that, not right then. What he wanted was that teenager, that silver-haired boy he felt such a bond with, to be by his side again. Sephiroth wanted to help him and keep him safe, but he couldn't… instead he was numb; that part of him was numb, unable to feel that connection with Riku… so, helpless, he cried. The General, the great leader of ShinRa's elite army, the highest-ranked SOLDIER ever, the man who didn't feel and didn't _love_, a mere science experiment who was to feel no pain… cried.

And all over that silver-haired child who was so much like himself, in a new form of pathetic self-pity… Sephiroth didn't know he could have it in him.

__

/--Seph,--/ the deceased SOLDIER started quietly,_ /--please listen to me.--/_

Sephiroth swallowed hard, beautiful face drained completely of color and tearstains prominent on his cheeks, aqua eyes red-rimmed and puffy. He felt like a mess, and he knew he must've looked it, too.

"What do you want, Zackary…"

Zack made an indiscernible noise and murmured, _/--I think we have a slight problem here…--/_

"That is the understatement of the century, Knightblade…"

__

/--No, a really, **really** big problem.--/

The silver-haired man sighed heavily and cleared his throat, eyes fluttering shut as he brought a hand up to wipe at his cheeks. He felt like such a weakling, letting himself fall apart like that… nevertheless, Sephiroth asked, voice shaky and toneless, "and what might that be…?"

__

/--Ansem's… um… gone…--/

"I'd have imagined that's a positive, Zackary…," Sephiroth stated emotionlessly.

__

/--See, normally it would've been, but, the guy **did** just rape a little kid.--/ He paused a bit before continuing, _/--and… there's a couple more problems…--/_

"And I _will _kill him for that." The ex-General sighed and placed his palms on the floor, pushing himself into a sitting position. He put his face in his hand and bit his palm hard enough to bruise before he asked, "…and what are the others?"

__

/--Number one being… I don't… uh… know where we are… exactly.--/

He sighed again and tiredly shook his head, silver hair pooled on the floor around him, strands caught on several of the feathers of his wing, but Sephiroth couldn't bring himself to care. "And?"

Zack frowned internally. _/--I don't know how to get us out.--/_

Sephiroth growled and slammed his palm on the floor, suddenly very agitated with everything around him. "Tell me then, Zackary, is there anything that you _do_ know?"

__

/--I know that Ansem's gone…?--/

The silver-haired man rolled his eyes. "I'm aware," he remarked, dryly.

Another mental frown down, Zack added, more upbeat this time, _/--I also know that now's the time to break that stupid door down.--/_

"And will I be attacked again?"

__

/--Probably not…--/

Sephiroth wiped his eye with a knuckle, smiling thinly and without humor. "Now, why is that?"

__

/--Duh, Seph, because the prick isn't here to screw with you for messing around.--/

A silver eyebrow perked up curiously as Sephiroth shook his head at his friend's rather obvious statement. "Touché."

__

------------------

The two men sat in the pink Gummi ship, making good time on their way to the Coliseum. Leon's skill piloting the vessel was astonishing, expertly weaving through asteroid belts and random debris, shooting down invading Heartless craft with the ease of a professional. The man never lost his cool while shifting from battle mode to standard driving, never broke a sweat, barely batted an eyelash as a barrage of shots burst from the Tiny Bronco's mounted cannons and lasers.

And Cloud was bored. His companion hardly talked when he piloted the ship, and, though Cloud could see why, he wasn't happy about it. A part of him wanted to shake Leon from that place he holed himself up in in that shaggy-maned head of his just long enough for Cloud to figure out why he felt so damned _attracted_ by the former SeeD.

Leon captured his interest from first sight, but the blonde didn't have the faintest idea why that was so. Although Cloud had only male lovers in the past, he never thought himself to be strictly _gay_, considering very few men actually turned his head in that sort of way… but then again, not many _women_ turned his head, either. There was Aerith, and Tifa before he met Sephiroth, but… surprisingly, the blonde couldn't remember any other people he took more than a fleeting interest to.

So… what made _Leon_ so special…?

Yes, Cloud would be the first to admit that Leon was very attractive, but his personality was less than stellar and definitely left something to be desired. He seemed to want nothing more than for people to leave him alone, purposely distancing himself from those around him by acting so cold and aloof all the time.

Maybe that was why Cloud wanted Leon so badly… because of the fact that he somewhat reminded the blonde of the one he loved and lost by his own hand, the one who returned but was still just out of reach…

__

[…I don't want to think about this anymore…]

Watching random numbers on different panels served to amuse Cloud's wandering mind for a little while, but his boredom kicked in once more. He absently wondered if the majority of the buttons on the Gummi's front panels actually did anything or if they were simply for show, knowing Cid would actually do such a thing - and had, Cloud recalled with a small smile. The crass pilot installed levers and such on the Highwind II, so why wouldn't he do something similar on a Gummi modeled after the Tiny Bronco?

The blonde's hand, of its own volition, drifted towards a particularly large, showy green button, needing to sate that damning curiosity. He was dangerously close to pushing it before Leon slapped it away, and stated. "this ship is _not _a toy." The sentence made Cloud cringe at the scolding, fatherly tone the other man used.

Rolling his eyes while he rubbed the back of his hand, Cloud responded sarcastically, "sorry, _daddy_." Leon glared at him.

"Don't act like a child." The mercenary simply huffed, then pouted.

Like a child.

He brought his hands into his lap and wrung them together, amazed at how much the gold of his claws contrasted with his pale fingertips. Cloud didn't know why, but he was reluctant to remove the claw anywhere but in the shower, and that was only because he didn't want to accidentally poke his eyes out or scratching anything while washing himself. Sometimes he imagined he did so because it was unfair to Vincent, to have the simple ability to remove the claw at will when his former teammate couldn't, the claw an ugly reminder of the man who wrecked so many lives in the pursuit of 'science'…

Cloud sighed, now thoroughly depressed, and rested his chin against his collarbone.

"…I wonder if Seph'll be there…," the blonde murmured absently, staring at his hands.

Leon looked over at him briefly, head tilted. "'Seph'?"

"He's… the one I was looking for. My Light. He was my _first_, and will be my _only_…love…" Cloud shook his head and chuckled lightly. "I know how sappy that sounds, but…," he trailed off, shrugging.

"…'he'?"

__

[…you must've known, Leon, come **on**… even **I'm** not that clueless…] "Yes… 'he'. Do you have a problem with that?" Cloud asked, harsher - and bitchier - than he intended.

Leon's lips quirked upwards in a sad smile, eyes fixed ahead of him as he maneuvered the Tiny Bronco expertly through outer space's many obstacles. "No." He bit his lip and added, "we always remember our first loves, Cloud, no matter who they are…"

__

[…should I even **ask**?]

"What about yours?" the blonde asked, wincing. He hadn't been able to stop the words from tumbling out.

The gunblade wielder hesitated, brooding intensely. Cloud cursed himself for asking the other man something so personal, especially since he was always so reluctant to share anything about himself above petty details. "…do you mean my Light?"

Cloud blinked. The other man's tone wasn't angered or harsh, but merely thoughtful and uncharacteristically fragile. "If you wish…"

Leon let out a pained sigh. "…my Light… burned out…," the brunette replied quietly. Cloud noticed the other man was gripping the controls of the Gummi ship too tight for comfort, nearly bending the metal of the shifters as he unconsciously squeezed. Leon's face had hardened considerably, but his greyish blue eyes were glassy, possibly even threatening tears.

Quickly Cloud looked away, the anguish reflected from the other man's face palpable. "I'm sorry, Leon," he murmured, biting his lip.

"…it's alright."

Cloud faced the other man, shocked that he hadn't replied with his usual '…whatever'. Tentatively, the mercenary placed his hand on Leon's shoulder and patted it lightly. When the brunette didn't brush it away, Cloud prodded softly, asking, "what happened?"

The taller man's jaw set, facial muscles taut beneath his near-flawless skin. He drew his eyebrows thoughtfully, hands on the controls still tensing and relaxing. "…she was like an angel…," Leon started, and let out a ragged sigh before continuing. "It's hard to remember what happened, exactly… I was holding her… and…," he shook his head, "I don't know… she got away from me. She was smiling… I remember a bit, but…"

Cloud stayed silent as he unconsciously patted Leon on one well-toned arm, just to let the other man know he was there. He wanted to comfort him and show him that he was his friend, and was willing to listen to whatever he had to say. Cloud silently told himself that he would _not_ push for the entire tale if Leon didn't want to go on. Instead, he would simply let the brunette set the pace of the conversation and stop whenever he wanted to.

"I can't… I think we were in a field, or a garden…? It was a familiar place, for me…" The man frowned, biting his lip in contemplation. "And I gave her… _something_… it was _important_…" He shook his head, eyes never breaking from the windshield, steering instinctively through the star field. "I've lost so many memories, Cloud…," he trailed off, voice breaking. "It's been so long…"

Cloud frowned slightly. If Squall wasn't so busy piloting the Gummi, the blonde would've gotten up and hugged him tightly, let the other man cry on his shoulder; he seemed to need it. "I'm sorry, Leon…"

"And there was… another person…" The brunette cleared his tightened throat uncomfortably. "But I never _told_…," he started before he licked his lip and frowned. "I… no, just… nevermind that."

__

[…eh?]

Leon laughed bitterly, brushing a piece of hair from his face. "You know… I didn't like her at first."

"Really?" The brunette nodded.

"Yeah. She was so…," he made a circling motion with his hands, searching for the most appropriate word. "So _annoying_. Pushy. But she made me… I don't know… _care_?" He fell silent for several minutes, just driving before he spoke again. "She meant a lot to me, but… I can't even remember her name anymore…"

Cloud slid his hand over the other man's arm soothingly, a saddened and concerned look in his eyes. "You'll remember eventually…" Leon shook his head slowly, taking in a ragged breath.

"There's nothing coming back, it just all… goes away, as time wears on." He shrugged, head tilting back, and blinked rapidly. Cloud knew he was fighting back tears and chewed on his lip, furrowing his brow. But seconds later, Leon scowled.

"_Don't _touch me," he spat angrily, face flushing.

The blonde flinched as the older man's emotional barrier shot itself back up and hastily removed his offending hand.

[…well, shit.]

The trip passed relatively silent after Leon's revelation, the two only exchanging occasional grunts or murmurs when they passed items dropped by random Heartless ships, Cloud skillfully controlling the Osmose-G from the passenger seat's attachments panel, scooping up the contents to be sifted through after they returned the ship to Cid.

Cloud was in awe at the things they passed as they traveled, marveling at the clusters of stars and nebulae. It seemed some stars had faded as they flew, there in the distance as they approached but turning black as the time passed. He remembered briefly that Aerith mentioned those fading stars were other worlds being eaten by the Darkness, as was the case for the Planet… it was insane to think of how many there were still going out.

"We're almost there," Leon broke in suddenly, bringing the smaller warrior back to reality. The older man's voice was weary, dark circles clearly visible under greyish blue eyes.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," the brunette muttered, still frowning in the same way he was, back when they last said more than two words to each other. Cloud was, of course, a bit worried at the detachment, growing more afraid that Leon was going to close himself off before the two could actually become friends - something they _both_ needed.

"…you look tired."

"I'm _not_," Leon growled.

The blonde sighed shakily, rolling his eyes. _[Gods forbid someone tries to reach out.]_

Leon jerked his chin towards Olympus, the distance closing rapidly between the tiny ship and the world. For a moment, Cloud thought they were going to crash into it as it became bigger and bigger, the brunette not slowing until they were roughly a few hundred miles away - a distance that they could close very, very quickly on the Gummi. But, Leon was a deceptive driver and slowed quickly but cautiously, landing the Tiny Bronco expertly at the large docking station.

The place outside of the Coliseum's courtyard was surprisingly bustling and full of life, vendors lining the streets dressed in togas, selling foodstuffs, clothes, even pottery. Leon's eyes gazed at a cart selling handcrafted jewelry on thick leather cords, most of the charms made of shells and beautifully polished rocks. Cloud noticed, too, that the inhabitants seemed rather happy on Olympus, despite its oftentimes dry and too-hot weather.

…then again, Cloud always wore the cape and that agitated the heat, so…

"We should find an inn for tonight," the older man muttered as the two of them walked along the streets of Olympus.

"There's one," Cloud said, quickly pointing at a small hut with a tablet announcing its purpose hanging on the front, surrounded by several other small structures made of tan stone slabs. "…do they take munny here in the town?"

Leon nodded, hands latching onto his belts due to a lack of pockets. "Yeah. They get a lot of… tourists, I guess you could call us." He tilted his head to the side and added, "they rip us off, too."

The blonde raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Welcome to real life."

"Hold on… weren't you _staying_ here?"

Cloud shrugged, feeling absolutely stupid. "Well… I was, but not in the town… Phil let he stay in the Coliseum and he usually took care of everything else…"

"…what, you never got bored with staying in one place for an entire _year_?" the brunette asked, sounding more amused than anything. "Curiosity never got the best of you? You never wanted to see beyond the courtyard walls?"

The mercenary frowned. "I participated in tournaments nearly every other day, all of my free time went into training, and the only thing my mind let me think about during that entire time was my own guilt, so no, I never did." Cloud swallowed the lump building in his throat and shook his head. He sounded like a pitiful loser and he knew it, but he couldn't bring himself to stop. "…I really didn't give a shit about the world passing me by, only because the one I always wanted wasn't by my side."

"Settle down," Leon murmured, "I was just curious."

The two men made their way to the inn and reserved a 'room', paying 350 munny for one night. Leon was right - they ripped out-of-towners off _big _time.

But the space itself was nice enough; it was clean, at least, and stocked with a lot of furs for the chilly night air, and decorated meaninglessly as most other inns were. Pots painted with Grecian gods and goddesses of legend and tall ferns stood about the small area; Cloud had to wonder which they were paying more for, the room or the decorum.

Yes, the room was sufficient - the only flaw with it that Cloud could see - even though, in his mind, it wasn't a technical _flaw _- was… the single bed-mat on the floor.

"You can take the bed if you want," Leon offered, gesturing to the furs. "I can sleep on those."

The mercenary raised an eyebrow questioningly. "Really?"

"If you want it, I don't care."

Cloud furrowed his brow, head tilted. "Wouldn't you be more comfortable on the bed?" In all reality, the bed didn't look that comfortable either, but he supposed it didn't really matter…

"…whatever."

The blonde sighed and turned around, looking out the hole in the wall - the equivalent of a window - and studied the inhabitants of Olympus once more.

"Cloud?"

"Hmm?" The blonde turned to see Leon standing a few steps behind him. His body didn't seem composed as he stood a bit awkwardly, shoulders slack, weight precariously balanced mostly on one side. He had a slight blush on his cheeks, his mouth off to one side contemplatively. Leon had his head tilted, eyebrows knit together as he nibbled the inside of his cheek… it all seemed so very _not_ 'Leon'.

Still, Cloud knew he wanted to say something and stayed quiet.

"…I…," he started, one hand bobbing up and down on a wrist as he fished for words. The brunette sighed and shook his head, swiftly giving up with a frown and growl. "Never mind."

Cloud raised eyebrow at the other man. Leon looked flustered for some reason, and angry, but going by body language, he couldn't make out quite _why_.

"Let's just go tell Phil you're here," the older man sighed, tossing his belongings onto the pile of furs.

"…alright."

They made their way to the Coliseum, weaving through hordes of people as they gave the pair interested stares. Leon was dressed in his usual leather, though instead of his jacket he wore a vest, with a tight black tank underneath it, zippers running up the sides. He had foregone his gloves for the sake of comfort, as Olympus was too hot for so much extra clothing.

Cloud, on the other hand, seemed to have on everything he possibly could, in a loose blue t-shirt and his usual SOLDIER-style pants - with even more superfluous belts than he normally wore, several around his arm going from his wrist up to his bicep a la Leon. He added a few extras around his left thigh as well, one containing a sheath and a small knife he brought, just in case there were pickpockets looking for prey or a fight, since he left the huge Buster Sword back at the inn.

However, the cape was a necessity, or so he liked to think. But he couldn't deny that he was uncomfortable in the dry heat; it was all evident from the sweat on his forehead and the exposed flesh of his arms.

"Why don't you take that thing off?" Leon asked, tugging at the cape. "You look like you're boiling."

Cloud frowned, pulling the mantle away from the other man's grip. "I need it. Besides, I'm fine, I've dealt with it before."

"You're a terrible liar, Strife." Cloud waved his hand dismissively at the comment as they walked through the gate, into the Coliseum's courtyard.

A line of people were lined up in the courtyard, purchasing tickets for the next day's event at the last minute. The two men were jeered at as they went past them, nearly all assumed the two outcasts were cutting in line. Cloud resisted the urge to flip them off with his clawed hand as they stepped into Phil's small office. How the hell did those people _not_ recognize him? He was a champion at those tournaments not _that_ long ago…

"Hey, kid!" the stout goatling grunted, waving Cloud into the room. He nodded quickly at Leon before his pudgy face turned into a grin. "See ya made it t' register!" His burly arms crossed, barely making it around his chest. "Last minute, though," he said, near-glaring at the blonde.

"It wasn't my fault, Phil," he replied, gesturing to Leon. "His partner didn't tell me about it 'til today."

Phil shook his head and frowned. "Ah well, kid, 'least yer here." The satyr drew his eyebrows together, forming a rather large crease in the middle of his forehead. "Where you been, anyway?"

"Staying in Traverse Town."

"Ah… I heard about that place," Phil nodded and waddled to his desk, hooves clacking loudly on the stone. He scribbled something on a sheet of papyrus with a piece of black coal, handing it to Cloud when he finished. "There. Just some stuff ya need for tomorrow," he said, gesturing with a plump hand.

"Thanks, Phil."

"No problem, kid. Now don't be late this time, alright?"

"Hey, I said I was sorry." Cloud looked at the ex-SeeD, gesturing to the exit. "Wanna go?"

The other man nodded and they both left, heading back to the inn for the night to rest up before the Hercules Cup.

During the walk, the blonde had a chance to study the gunblade wielder, noticing for the first time a tattoo wrapped around his upper arm in some sort of solid black tribal design of intertwining curvy lines, tapering off into sharp points. He figured he must've been too hung-over to see it the last time he saw Leon without a shirt… it was cool, though.

"I like your tattoo," he said, jerking his chin at it.

Leon looked down at his arm and shrugged. "Someone I went to school with dared me to get one when I was younger," the older man replied, smiling faintly. He gave Cloud a sidelong glance before closing his eyes and finishing, "he had one on his face just like it."

"Did you say on his _face_?!" the blonde sputtered, disbelievingly.

"Yeah. He had it… I think as long as I knew him…?"

Cloud bit his lip and cringed, curiosity getting the best of him once more. On the subject of markings on the face… "Leon… if you don't mind my asking… how did you get your scar?"

The other man winced momentarily, a hand absently making its way up to his face, running down the length of the mark. "…let's just say it was a gift from… my… friend. An old friend." He drew his eyebrows together and clicked his tongue before continuing. "He's got one to match, though."

Slyly, Leon smirked and drew a line from his left eyebrow to the right side of his nose with one slender finger, crossing over his scar in the opposite direction.

Cloud snickered slightly. "So you were what, scar-buddies?"

"…something like that."

The blonde pressed his lips together. "Do you remember _his _name?"

"Of _course_!" Leon replied hastily, startling the mercenary. He noticed Cloud's questioning glance and shook his head. "Sorry… it's… or _was_… Seifer."

"'Was'?"

The brunette shrugged. "I don't know, so whether to use present or pasttense…," he trailed off, hooking his thumbs into the mass of belts about his hips.

Cloud bit his lower lip and sighed slightly. "I'm glad you're telling me these things, Leon." He smirked and added, "it makes me think you don't _completely_ hate me."

The other man rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "I couldn't hate you, Cloud."

A blonde eyebrow raised then fell, deciding not to push the subject.

"…anyone else you want to talk about?"

Leon shrugged. "Why don't you tell _me _about someone," the taller man suggested as they stepped into the room.

Cloud took the offer to go in first, immediately removing his cape, belts and shirt before flopping carelessly on his stomach into the bed-mat, uncaring about his wing at that moment. He was tired and the trip to Olympus was slightly taxing; though it wasn't near as bad as it was as a teenager, Cloud still felt some aftereffects of motion sickness… and it sucked.

"I'd rather talk about _you_," the blonde suggested, "I still barely know anything _about _you."

Leon sighed and sat on the thick pile of furs in the room, long limbs splaying carelessly about him. He leaned his head back, quietly staring at the ceiling for a moment before speaking. "I already told you in the ship: I don't have very many memories from back then."

"Tell me what you _can_ remember, then."

The brunette heaved another sigh. "Fine. I can't recall where I grew up… but I have flashbacks sometimes of a bunch of kids, though, so I'm assuming I was from a big family… I remember a little bit about my dad, though, but…"

Cloud shot the other man a pained look. "You can't even remember your family?" he asked gently. Leon shook his head.

"Not much. But, I do remember some things after, like SeeD." His head lifted as he asked, "I mentioned SeeD before, right?" Cloud nodded and the brunette put his head back down again. "Well, I attended training in a place called Balamb. It was a very _unique_ building," Leon said the word 'unique' as if it was a joke, "huge place. Everything was tinted either blue or grey… it was actually rather futuristic…" He smirked before he continued, "…and it could fly."

The blonde raised an eyebrow. "It could fly," he asked, though it was more stated than questioned.

"Well, it was a military thing. On the off chance we were attacked, we could relocate." Leon paused to shrug. "And that happened, and the rumors were true. Balamb… flew away."

Cloud snorted loudly, pressing a hand to his forehead. "You realize how idiotic that sounds." Leon shrugged again.

"I try not to think about the more mundane details."

"I don't know, a _flying **building **_isn't exactly the epitome of 'mundane'," he replied, earning a short laugh.

"Whatever."

Cloud folded his arms under his head, glad the day was cooling down considerably, and that the older one was opening up to him. _[Which reminds me…]_

"I was wondering… why do you call yourself 'Leon', if your real name is 'Squall'…?" he asked, resting his cheek on his arms, tiredly.

"…my other one brings bad memories." The older man laughed bitterly. "Most of the only memories I _haven't_ completely forgotten…"

The blonde sighed heavily. "I'm sorry I brought it up…"

"…whatever…"

----------------------

__

A/N: Chapter revised 7/09/04. Added around 2400 words, even though by this chapter my writing had gotten more descriptive… unfortunately. I just added a bit more of Zack's… thingy… thing… and more explanation of the motives behind the rape… ngh.

I **still** hate this chapter, it's **still** abysmal, and it **still** gives me the creeps. I **hate** my Ansem. That part was written when I was in a **really **shitty mood, and, well, it obviously reflected that… so, yeah, that's the explanation for shitty Seph/Zack/Riku angst with its stupidly dark, trippy overtones and gothic imagery and all that other pretentious bullshit, which would've been avoided entirely had I been in the right state of mind. -.-;

…and Cloud's half still irks me. -.- Thankfully, this sack of crap is one of the shortest chapters, so that's good, at least.


	9. Part Eight

****

Part Eight

__

So hold me when I'm here  
right me when I'm wrong.  
Hold me when I'm scared  
and love me when I'm gone.  
------------------

Sephiroth took several deep breaths before continuing. He had been slashing at the door for an indeterminable amount of time but never made a dent, and barely even scratched the surface. He had even tried picking at the keyhole with the Masamune, but as before, it was to no avail. Sephiroth had even tried several Flame Pillars on it.

And, of course, nothing. The door was about as annoying as the portal summoning was. Katas didn't work beforehand this time, though, and both Sephiroth and Zack were out of ideas. But being the persistent men they were, they weren't about to stop.

There had to be some way to open the door, after all, since Ansem had warned Sephiroth to never go in there - in Sephiroth's mind, that _had_ to mean that there was indeed a way for him to do so. Also, the creepy white-haired man had stiffened when the Keyblade was mentioned, but, as far as Sephiroth was aware, Riku's Light was the only Keybearer and that boy sure as hell wasn't wherever _he_ was.

__

/--There has to be SOMETHING here.--/

"I don't see anything, Zackary." Sephiroth had given up on keeping up dialogue in his mind, considering Ansem was nowhere to be found and wasn't able to give him those wondering glances, and the entire place seemed too quiet as well. He had tried to look out the windows, but there was nothing outside them but pitch black, unlike before.

"There are decorations here…," the silver-haired man muttered, walking around the room, boots clicking the wood floor quietly with every graceful step. "There are books, journals…," he added, gesturing with his arms, pointing them out to Zack.

__

/--Well, what books are they?--/

Sephiroth sighed. "I'm afraid I do _not_ want to know. The last book of Ansem's I picked up was… pornography…"

__

/--You can't see it, but I'm… raising my eyebrow at you right now…--/

"Fantastic, now a _lech _is giving me accusatory glances," Sephiroth grumbled, running his fingers across a journal's cover and binding as he scanned its surface. "These seem to be reports of some sort."

__

/--Look at 'em--/

"Zackary, please realize I am _not_ a fool," the silver-haired man spat, taking one of the journals off the bookshelf to quickly rifle through it. An eyebrow raised as he came upon several interesting passages, all of which detailing in-depth studies of the Heartless.

__

/"The shadows that crawl beneath the castle… are they the people who lost their hearts, or incarnations of Darkness? Or something entirely beyond my imagination?  
  
All my knowledge has provided no answer. One thing I am sure of is that they are entirely devoid of emotion. Perhaps further study will unlock the mysteries of the heart. Fortunately, there is no shortage of test samples."/

Sephiroth shuddered. "He reminds me of Hojo," he murmured absently, shaking his head, before reading on.

__

/"To study the Heartless behavior, I picked one out for observation. It wiggled its antennae and, as if sensing a target, headed deep into the castle.   
  
In the deepest part of the castle, its antennae began vibrating, as if searching for something. Suddenly, a strange door appeared. I'd never known of its existence.   
  
It had a large keyhole, but didn't seem to be locked. So I opened the door."/

/--Well, well.--/

"But this door cannot be opened, at least not by my hand. And as far as I'm concerned, that door _is_ locked." He furrowed his brow, curling a finger underneath his chin. "Do you have any idea where we are?"

__

/--No… but it's somewhere… not… good…--/

The ex-General rolled his eyes, heaving a sigh. "I'm _still_ amazed you ever made it to First Class…"

Book in hand, Sephiroth walked towards the door again, laying his hand flat on the wood. He slid his palm over the grain, feeling the solidness of the structure, and the dim vibration coming from the other side. "Where do you lead to," he musingly asked, voice just barely a whisper.

__

/--…it feels weird, doesn't it?--/

"Indeed it does."

__

/--Try stickin' your hand in the keyhole.--/ Sephiroth blinked.

"Will that work?"

__

/--Damned if I know, but you're not doing anything useful **now**, so what harm could it do?--/

The black-gloved hand slid higher, fingertips trailing along the outer edges of the pitch-black keyhole. He felt no shocks, no tremors coming from the inside, just that dim buzzing. Sephiroth gripped the edge with one hand and put down the journal before he slid his other inside, feeling around for anything - a lock mechanism he could pull, a latch, Heartless antennae, _anything_.

But his fingertips touched nothing on the inside, even though Sephiroth's arm was in up to the elbow. He couldn't feel the other side of the door, either, and wasn't even sure if his arm had completely through the keyhole or not… but it was possible. Though, if he had, the other side of the door seemed completely empty, and just… nothing.

With a sigh, the silver-haired man slipped his arm out and examined it briefly, checking for dust or fur or anything else that could have betrayed an actual opposite side of the keyhole. Upon finding nothing out of the ordinary on the black leather, Sephiroth picked up the journal again and slumped heavily down onto the room's bed.

"This is driving me mad," Sephiroth growled, laying the book in his lap. "You _know_ I cannot stand feeling so useless… so damned _helpless_." He scowled, throwing his head back, and muttered, "and I _still _cannot feel Riku."

__

/--I know, Seph. Just keep looking through the journals, alright? There's gotta be some clue as to how to get out of here.--/

"I don't even know where here _is_."

__

/--I **know**,--/ Zack replied grumpily.

"At least _before_ there were hints, how the windows saw straight through Riku's eyes…," he trailed off, snarling in frustration. Sephiroth shook his head violently, silver hair slapping the sides of his face. "And I sat idly by while that… **_degenerate_**… violated…" Sephiroth let his sentence die out and sighed.

__

/--It's no good dwelling on it, Seph, you weren't exactly in the best position…--/

The silver-haired man snorted in disgust. "Yes, and because I was so weak, that link between the boy and I was broken."

__

/--Knock it off or I'm going to slap you.--/

"Hmph. You're in no form to do so, you parasite," Sephiroth growled dangerously.

__

/--That's it.--/

Sephiroth's right arm tingled and he looked down at it, eyebrow raised. He watched as he tried to move his fingers, receiving no response. Without warning, the hand shot up and slapped him square in the cheek, most likely hard enough to leave a mark for a short while.

The silver-haired man simply laughed.

"How dare you do that!" he choked out between fevered cackles, shaking his head, hand splayed over his face. "You… you used me, you controlled my hand like a puppet! I am now Zackary's puppet!"

Zack's nonexistent countenance fell. _/--…you're losing it, Seph, just… gods, just calm down, alright? Sorry…--/_

Aqua eyes went wide as the last of the laughs slipped from Sephiroth's throat. "Oh, no, no I am perfectly sane, I've always been." He sneered, pounding his fist on the bed. "Now, **_never _**do that again."

Zack blinked. Telepathically, of course.

The silver-haired man sighed, picking up the journal again. Page after page of the book was filled with notes on experimentations, theories, and numerous equations, jargon… some passages were even written in a sort of code Sephiroth was unable to decipher, done up in cryptic runes instead of letters. None of which he could recognize.

Roughly drawn sketches of maps and various, nondescript locations were drawn on entire sheets, incredibly detailed, with tiny notes crammed tightly into the margins. Unfortunately for him, even with all the information Ansem had chronicled, Sephiroth still found no way as to how opening or unlocking that particular door in the room was possible… save the apparent Keyblade solution.

With the first journal finished, Sephiroth tossed it aside and rubbed his eyes with his knuckles. Thus far, all of the writings were utterly useless to him… they barely even made _sense_.

Frustrated, Sephiroth sighed and shook his head to himself before sliding off of the massive bed, retrieving another volume.

The journal Sephiroth chose next was entitled 'Reports VI - VIII', a thick journal with loose-leaf sheets of papers stuffed haphazardly in it, handwriting quickly done in a mad scrawl instead of that neat print the last had. Frowning, Sephiroth took 'Reports IX - X' along with him on second thought and flopped back onto the bed, careful not to bump his wing.

__

/--This is oh-so-entertaining…,--/ Zack commented dryly.

"Stop it, Zack," Sephiroth growled, flipping through the reports.

More graphs, more studies, more scientific jargon. The reports seemed nearly endless, all of them the studies of an apparent madman. As much as the two former SOLDIERs would have liked to avoid thinking of it, Ansem's obsessive nature with experimenting and the Heartless reminded them both greatly of Hojo.

__

/--And he's going down the same path, y'know? Experimenting on himself, making himself part of the project… 'cept with him it's this 'Darkness' crap instead of Jenova, I mean. Pretty creepy, eh?--/

"Yes, I am aware of the similarities between Ansem and the good Professor's antics," Sephiroth mumbled, reading.

__

/--I'm just saying, there's some creepy—--/

"Yes, _parallels_. I am _aware_, Zackary, just _let me **read**_!"

__

/--…just like Nibelheim…--/

Sephiroth stiffened, eyes narrowing dangerously. He hated when his friend brought up his mistakes of the past; more specifically, those days and nights when he had locked himself into the basement of ShinRa Mansion, right before he razed the entire town.

And, inevitably, turning Zack and Cloud, the two people closest to him, into a couple of Hojo's 'specimens'.

"Don't do this to me, Zackary…"

__

/"The Heartless feed on other's hearts, and they yearn for that energy core. That thing beyond the door must be a heart, too--the heart of this world. There is no proof, but, having felt that immense energy, I am certain. That was the heart of the world."/

__

/'That thing beyond the door must be a heart, too--the heart of this world…'/ Sephiroth quoted with a frown.

"Maybe not a heart of the _world_, but a heart…," the silver-haired man mumbled quietly, eyeing the door.

__

/--I think you may be on to something there,--/ Zack agreed.

"Yes, yes, so do I…"

__

/"By recreating the conditions that spawn the Heartless naturally, I should be able to produce them artificially. This device is the culmination of all my research thus far. The machine's test run successfully created a Heartless. This may be a step toward creating a heart from nothing.  
  
The artificially and naturally created Heartless showed nearly identical traits. But the two types remain distinct for the purpose of the experiment. So, I will mark the ones that are created artificially."/

The deceased SOLDIER blinked. _/--Wait up… that 'mark'… the shit that those Heartless things have on their chests?--/_

The silver-haired man frowned. "Come to think of it… Ansem did have that insignia on his chest…"

/--You mean that dude MADE those!?--/

"That madman…"

Sephiroth shook his head, eyes raking over the script in the journals quickly, making mental notes at a feverish pace.

So, it was _Ansem_ who destroyed his and Cloud's world… Ansem had been stealing hearts and using them for his own sick gain, treated the other worlds as nothing but a giant experiment. The man was a lunatic - nothing but a monster hell-bent on becoming a god.

Ruefully, Sephiroth thought, _/just as I once was. Jenova or no, I was this way, and Hojo, and ShinRa…/_

__

/--Seph,--/ Zack chimed in, cutting him off,_ /--this isn't the 'Sephiroth's Regrets of the Past' Happy Hour. This is 'Trying to Help the Friggin' Kid and Bust Open That Fucking Door' time! Knock it off!--/_

"These things are hard not to think about, Zackary," he replied, a hand on his cheek as he read. Sephiroth's brow was almost permanently furrowed as he put together connections between Ansem's life and the people of his own, drowning in regrets and memories and guilt…

But his friend was right; this was no time to worry about _himself_. For once, he had to think about someone else, and actually be a hero to him…

__

/"We talked for countless hours, but one story in particular caught my interest: that of a key called the 'Keyblade'. The Keyblade is said to hold phenomenal power. One legend says its wielder saved the world, while another says that he wrought chaos and ruin upon it.  
  
I must know what this Keyblade is. A key opens doors. It must be connected to the door I have opened."/

"Hm… intriguing…"

__

/--…you know which Keyblade that fuck's probably looking for…--/

"Yes." Sephiroth's eyes went wide as something clicked. He let out a groan and slammed his fists on his thighs in disgust. He muttered a curse, growling. "I don't _believe _this."

Zack was quiet before making a noise of recognition. _/--Since Sora apparently has the **good** Keyblade…--/_

"Though Riku was able to wield it as well, he told me… _that's_ why he needed the boy…"

__

/--…because Riku would be able to use the 'dark' Keyblade, Ansem used him as a vessel…?--/

"Exactly… Ansem really _is _like Jenova. This is sickening…" Sephiroth shook his head again, laughing bitterly. "And I couldn't stop him…" He sighed, closing his eyes slowly. "I should have seen this coming, Zackary…"

__

/--No, you couldn't have known, Seph…--/

The silver-haired man made a noise in the back of his throat. "But I _should_ have. I _should_ have thought **_something_** when the boy first started exhibiting strange behavior, I should have **_known_** when… Zackary, I should have _realized_ it when I saw… when I figured out how astonishingly _similar_ we are."

__

/--What could you have done, though? What do you think you could have said to him to make him stop when Ansem was already **inside**?--/

"…_something_. Something more than _nothing_ but sitting idly by while **_he_**…" Sephiroth took a deep breath, crossing his arms over his chest, "…this really is my fault. Completely _mine_."

Zack sighed harshly. _/--Look. Believe it or not, this **isn't** your **fault**. All we - you - can do now is just… help… before Ansem can do anything too drastic with that Keyblade, okay? So just stop worrying, use that big ole General's brain of yours to figure out a way to open the door, and help Riku stop him before he does anything too drastic. Right?--/_

Sephiroth nodded mutely and got up, grabbing the last three journals off the shelf and throwing them onto the bed. He tore through 'Report XI' quickly, finding several interesting pieces of information. The eleventh book was terribly written, visibly showing the madness growing within Ansem, its writing fevered, and even several of the pages were torn through by hard strokes of the pen.

__

/"If the door has been closed by the key known as the Keyblade, you probably cannot reach that world's heart again. Before the one with the Keyblade appears in this world, I must take measures to do something."/

He pushed 'XI' off to the side and grabbed 'Report XII', eyes darting over the pages before stopping at a passage, eyes going wide. "Zackary…"

__

/"I have transcended to an existence of only the heart. I should have come back as a Heartless, but there is no sign of such a transformation."/

Sephiroth took a ragged breath, rereading the passage, repeating the words in his head. A headache burst suddenly into his head, beating on his forehead and his temples. He cradled his face in his hands for a moment, mulling over the new information. "He is not _alive_, Zackary… how am I _here _in this _place… _if he's not **_alive_**?" His mental companion was silent.

The silver-haired man took a deep sigh, shaking his head. "Zackary…?"

__

/--…you're not going to like this…--/

"What is it…?" His eyebrows furrowed, breath caught in his throat. "Am _I_ still dead as well, Zackary?"

__

/--No, you're alive, you're very alive.--/

The silver-haired man closed his eyes, head swimming. Zack was going to tell him something terrible, he knew it, and he didn't want to know what it was. But he had to hear it, he knew it was information he had to get, no matter what it entailed. "What is it, then, Zack…?"

__

/--…um… but, see… I think you're kind of… a… um…--/

"Just _tell_ me, Zackary!" Sephiroth shouted angrily. "I've had _enough_of your procrastination! **_Tell _**me!"

__

/--…you're kind of a… well, a Heartless… maybe…?--/

Sephiroth raked a hand through his silver hair, eyes rolling upwards. "A Heartless," he repeated dully. "…how…?" He thought a moment before asking, "…Hades?"

__

/--Probably… he's obviously in league with the Darkness… and… there's another thing.--/

"And _that_ is?"

__

/--You're probably not a complete Heartless… at least… I don't think you are…--/

The ex-General sighed, shaking his head. "I don't see how I am a Heartless in the first place… that pain from the door was in my _heart_… and I can feel my heart _beating_…" He frowned. "It _is _weaker… but… I still have it…"

__

/--…right.--/ Zack gave a frown and muttered,_ /--but the thing is, you have powers of the Darkness 'cause of Hades… see, this is what I'm thinkin'. You know how you felt that connection with Riku…?--/_

Sephiroth nodded slowly. "Yes…" He curled his fist and placed it under his chin, listening intently.

__

/--I'm pretty sure he's why you aren't **completely** Heartless… maybe when Hades brought you back, your lines somehow got crossed with Riku's?--/

"What makes you think a thing like that could've happened?"

__

/--Well, probably happened because you're so similar… maybe.--/ Zack paused for a moment. _/--And that's probably why Ansem wanted you to… you know… 'submit'. If that was the case…--/_

"So… you're saying I've some of Riku's _heart_…?" The deceased SOLDIER made a small noise of affirmation, and Sephiroth snorted. "And that way, Ansem would've gotten the boy's heart entirely?"

__

/--Yeah… but it's speculative, so… anyway… but now…,--/ Zack trailed off, sighing. _/--I'm nearly positive what remained of his own heart was swallowed by the Darkness. By Ansem.--/_

"But a piece is still there… it's faint, but it is." Sephiroth frowned. "I'm certain it is."

__

/--Then I think that's a valid reason why you **need** to get through that door… there's **something** there, Seph.--/

"You don't know what's behind that door, Zack?" Sephiroth asked, eyeing the portal warily.

__

/--No, I can't tell what it is…--/

Sephiroth frowned, opening 'Report XIII'.

__

/"When the heart casts off the flesh, where does the body go?   
  
Heart and soul are separate, and the spirit remains in the body. But can we assume that the leftover body and soul perish?   
  
Certainly when the heart changes into a Heartless the body disappears.   
  
However, that is only this world's story; in another world, mightn't they change forms like the Heartless and exist there?  
  
If we take that to be the case, there must be a you other than yourself existing somewhere.  
  
An existence neither of darkness nor of light.  
An in-between existence.  
Cast off by the heart, a mere shell, one who begrudges both the darkness and the light.  
  
This mystery cannot be easily resolved.  
The relationship between the heart and the flesh is a complex one.   
  
But since we exist here, they cannot be termed as existent.  
Therefore I shall call them…  
  
'The non-existent ones'."/

/--…Seph…--/

"…yes, Zackary…?"

__

/--…just shut up and open the freakin' door.--/

------------------

Cloud looked at the day's fight roster with a frown. "Did you see this?" he grunted as Leon read the sheet over his shoulder. "I'm the fucking _fourth_ seed… FOURTH!"

"Strife. STOP."

"I can see not being first, since it **_is _**Hercules' cup and all, but… _fourth_…"

Leon sighed, rolling his eyes. "I'm sure it has nothing to do with your skill." The blonde frowned.

"Then what _does_ it have to do with?"

The ex-SeeD didn't answer for a moment as he tried to come up with a formidable excuse. Finally, he shook his head and shrugged. "Well, look at the second seed. 'Flying Pirates'. Do you think that you _yourself _would be harder to beat than all of those together?"

Cloud growled. "Yes, _Leon_, I _do_." He jabbed his finger into the roster sheet as he spoke. "Look. 'Dark Squadron'. That's only seven Heartless. Yeah, I might just be one _guy_, but I have my own _brain_ and I can actually _think_ while I battle instead of… _that_…" Cloud crumpled up the sheet and threw it over his shoulder. "Whatever."

"You're starting to sound like me," Leon said dryly. The blonde rolled his eyes, arms crossed.

"Honestly, I don't _fucking **care**_." He wanted terribly to wring Phil's neck for bumping him to fourth on account of some Heartless, but the - rather fortunate - little satyr wasn't anywhere in sight as he stood with his companion in the holding pen. Cloud was the old champion of the place, with the exception of Hercules, and yet he was tossed aside for tactless, idiot groups of _Heartless_?

The brunette raised an eyebrow curiously as he leaned against the far wall of the pen, one leg crossed over his other and arms folded over his chest. Truthfully, Leon was surprised at Cloud's anger over the list - it seemed such a trivial thing for the little warrior to get a rise from. But, he also felt that wasn't the only thing on the other man's mind as he vented his frustrations. Leon had figured it to be some sort of inferiority complex the blonde was slipping into - maybe never even got out of. And with Phil bumping Cloud from a top position…

"What seed are they on now?"

"Sixth," Cloud muttered, absently wrapping some athletic tape around the Buster Sword. "Wight Knights and Gargoyles. Big fucking _whoop_." He let out a sigh, scowling as he ripped the tape from the roll and threw it into a corner.

Leon simply watched the smaller man's infuriated actions. Cloud was constantly wringing his hands or running them through his spiky hair, sometimes even pulling at his cape and adjusting the many straps and belts he wore. His leg was jumping up and down, heel clacking on the floor as it hit, and his face was fixed with a constant scowl. Such a little bundle of grumpy energy that one was.

…Cloud looked pretty cute when he was angry.

The brunette blinked and turned away from the younger man, opting instead to watch Sora and his companions beat the snot out of Heartless. The little brown-haired boy wasn't going to have an easy a time with Cloud, Leon assumed, since the blonde wasn't only a _strong_ opponent, but had great speed as well, battle-hardened… a great warrior with tactical abilities to boot.

A bell rang out as the Rare Truffle hit the ground and huffed angrily, forfeiting its match against the Keyblade master. And less than a minute later, when the arena was clear of debris, another bell blared, signaling the fighters to the ring.

"Good luck," Leon said, clapping the blonde hard on the back.

"Yeah, yeah." Cloud picked up the Buster Sword and rolled his shoulders, tilting his head to the side.

Time for the fight.

He actually was looking forward to battling the young Keybearer again, interested in seeing how far the boy had progressed as far as ability and techniques were concerned. Cloud's plan was to go against Sora legitimately, however, and if the spiky-haired boy got hurt too badly he _would _throw the fight. Mercy was in his nature, after all.

The blonde, of course, had withheld that fact from Leon, who seemed to be rooting for a win indefinitely.

__

[Holding a grudge on a kid. I never figured you'd have it in you, Leon.]

Sora was already in his designated area, with Donald on his left and dropped behind, presumably done so because of two reasons - he was the mage, made to heal most of the time and use assault magic when his offensive teammates weren't too badly hurt. Goofy stood on the right, large shield held protectively in front of him with an uncharacteristically serious look on his face.

The boy himself, however, was front and center, a huge, goofy grin plastered on his face at the sight of his next opponent. The two spiky-headed ones really hadn't seen each other in a while, and Sora was obviously excited about the reunion.

…but Cloud didn't fail to notice that wicked-looking Keyblade in Sora's hands - a black, wrought-iron key which actually looked more like a piece of an old-fashioned fence, topped with spindles and deadly-looking points.

Cloud had a feeling that thing was going to _hurt_.

Sora's blue eyes suddenly hardened and his grin gave way to a serious look as the countdown to the fight began, shifting his weight on his feet and licking his lips in determination. When the bell rang out, he barely had time to ready the Buster Sword before the boy took Cloud by surprise and ran in for an attack.

The teenager immediately started slashing at him, attacking in diagonal swipes and horizontal cuts, swinging his Keyblade in wide arcs as Cloud deftly blocked the seemingly haphazard swings. Then, out of nowhere, Goofy slammed into his right side, knocking Cloud off balance and consequently threw off his block, allowing Sora to slam the Keyblade into his shoulder. And the blonde was right.

That new Keyblade really, _really_ hurt.

Cloud winced in pain as the weapon came down, that familiar blinding-white hiss of pain surging up. After he landed the hit, the dog backed away to allow Sora to fight the blonde on his own, until he was stuck again.

The duck, however, shot a fireball straight at Cloud, the magic solidly hitting the blonde in the stomach and burning him as Sora cried out, "POWER!"

Sora's simple word of warning started a powerful attack, swinging his blade in quick movements, arcs and side-swipes and vertical slashes. The combo was brutal and swift, even somehow lifting the boy into the air as he slashed wildly, before finally delivering the finishing blow: a slam on the head with that damn powerful Keyblade.

As he fell to the ground, Cloud couldn't help but compare the attack to the Omnislash. Of course, Sora's technique wasn't nearly as powerful as the blonde's old Limit, but it was still quite a formidable force.

Which, of course, made Cloud angry. He finally realized he was getting the shit beat out of him by a little kid, and that just wouldn't do.

With a growl, the blonde stood and lashed out, thrusting the Buster Sword at Sora's stomach. He put his feet into the attack, pushing himself forward and slicing deeply into the boy. From the corner of his eye, Cloud caught Leon cheering him on, hands clapping above his head, and smirked.

For show, Cloud kicked Sora in the side, launching the boy onto the ground. He landed with a solid 'thump' but to Cloud's surprise, Sora got up quickly, blood on his shirt from the previous hit clearly visible, and the blonde winced in sympathy.

Fortunately for Sora, Donald saw the wound as well and swiftly healed him before whirling around, sending out a powerful Blizzara spell on Cloud.

The Blizzara hit him in the back, sharp knife-like icicles tearing his cape even more. The tip of Cloud's wing poked through one of the holes, cut up from an icicle and bleeding just a bit. When he stopped stumbling, the blonde snarled and threw himself forward at the duck as Donald cast yet another Blizzara.

Dodging the spell this time, Cloud slammed the duck hard with his knee, sending Donald to the ground with a loud cry. Once again Cloud stumbled forward, that blinding light feeling spiking up again as Sora's Keyblade hit him hard on the back, the key then spinning back to its place in the boy's hand.

Goofy hit him soon after, ramming into Cloud's back and sending him to the ground, the blonde nearly falling on - and consequently crushing - Donald's body. Using this low opportunity, Cloud swung his leg out to hook Goofy with his foot, sweeping the dog's leg out from under him, and Goofy landed with a loud thump, the heavy shield he wielded like dead weight on his chest.

Cloud got up quickly and mercilessly slammed the hilt of his sword into the dog's temple. He winced at the brutal attack to the prone Goofy, but to be fair, this was, in some ways, 'war'.

But before Cloud had the chance to do the same to the duck, Sora ran forward, thrusting the Keyblade into the man's torso, just underneath the sternum. Cloud lurched forward as the wind was knocked out of his lungs, shirt torn where the sharp points from the key made contact and pierced his skin.

The duck, even though he was seemingly lifeless, went on to use the last of his remaining strength to cast a Gravira spell. The attack forced Cloud down to his knees, pressure crushing him from all sides, and the blonde clenched his teeth as he pushed against the attack - to no avail. The sheer force of the spell wouldn't allow it.

Sora pulled the Keyblade up before slamming it down on Cloud's right shoulder, eliciting a loud crack. The man winced at the white-hot heat burning from the attack, flares of pain shooting up and down his arm. Cloud tried to lift the Buster as he got to his feet, but soon found that the boy had actually managed to dislocate his right shoulder.

Well.

Angry now, Cloud snarled and again threw his cape back like he did during their first confrontation. His wing dully stung from one of the assaults on his back, but thankfully it still functioned. Sword in his left hand, Cloud flew away from Sora, the boy glaring at him for using his dark powers for the ability to fly.

Little did Cloud know, Sora could do the same - albeit much slower. Cloud passed the gliding boy, admittedly shocked to see the kid doing something strange as that…

__

[How the hell?!]

After passing by Sora several times, the teenager landed on two shaky legs before steadying himself. Satisfied, Cloud circled back to slash at him from above. The kid was starting to piss him off… he managed to land several solid blows, and thus far, Cloud knew he was… losing quite _badly_.

Suddenly, Sora twisted the upper half of his body back, both arms outstretched, and snapped forward. Easily the Keyblade slid from the young brunette's grasp as the boy hurled it at Cloud, attacking again with what Sora had called a 'Strike Raid'.

Cloud watched smugly as the pumpkin-charmed Keyblade spun around like a boomerang, missing its mark _badly _as it whizzed past him from the right. Jeeringly, Cloud smiled at the boy and landed before him, raising the Buster Sword over his head.

But, unbeknownst to the blonde fighter, the match was already over.

The Keyblade had started to make its way back to Sora after it bypassed Cloud by tens of feet, but the weapon didn't manage to make it back into the boy's gloved hands.

Cloud's head was busy being in the way.

The key slammed hard into the back of the blonde's head with its handle, the spinning force behind it far too great. It made contact with an audible crack, the audience gasping dramatically as the key split open the back of the blonde's skull, Cloud's hair instantly turning red as blood gushed from the wound.

Cloud crumbled to his knees, white pain burning in his head. The arena felt like it was spinning around him as he tried to get up, vision blurry and marked with white spots. He clawed at the ground and attempted to lift his head, but it felt far too heavy to support. Both arms gave out underneath him as the blonde finally collapsed, everything fading to black.

"…eon… he… ……ay?"

"He… …ret… ha… hea… Sor…"

"Concus… by… … Keybl…?"

__

[Shut up… let me **sleep**…]

"Yes… he'll… … …wake …oon."

Cloud groaned and cracked his eye open, the talking refusing to stop. He closed his eyes again soon after, a dreadful pain in the back of his head preventing him from keeping them open for too long, dizzy spells passing through him. All he could see were blurs of color, browns and blacks and blues, and his hearing kept fading in and out. Cloud knew he heard voices - _familiar_ voices - but they sounded too quiet and far away.

"…ook! He's… …ing… up!"

"Shh……ora… …loud?"

__

[…Leon?]

The blonde groaned again as he felt a few slaps to his face, lifting a hand to weakly brush the presence away.

"Cloud?"

"…what…?" he mumbled, still dizzy.

He heard someone breathe a sigh of relief. "Man……orried about… you…" _[…and Sora?]_ "I'm so…orry, Cloud!"

The blonde opened his eyes again, blinking away sleep and pain. His vision slowly cleared, Sora's form coming into sight first, his brown eyebrows drawn in worry as he chewed on his lower lip. Looking to the left, Cloud caught sight of Leon, the usually stoic face tinged with concern.

A gloved hand brushed at his forehead and Cloud flinched, his entire head sore and definitely not in the mood for attention. "What happened…?" he asked, voice reverberating his ears and causing him to cringe. "Feel like shit…"

"You have a concussion," the older man replied, leaning into his normal field of vision. "You'll be alright soon."

"Cloud, Cloud, I'm so sorry!!" Sora cried, guilty tears spilling down his face.

Cloud raised a hand and waved it around, telling the boy not to worry. "It was a fight… this stuff happens…," he coughed, wincing when he tried to lift his leaden head. "…ow."

"Strife, don't move yet," Leon ordered, placing a hand on Cloud's forehead. "You're concussed, I told you."

The blonde waved his hand dismissively and shifted to get up. "I'll be fine… I'll be completely healed in a couple days, anyway…"

Again Leon kept him down, this time by pushing down on his chest. "Stop. We're not going anywhere until you're alright."

"Fine," Cloud growled, bringing his unclawed hand to his face. He _hated_ being taken care of like that; it made him feel like he was too weak to take care of himself, the same now as it did back in Nibelheim. The only person Cloud hadn't minded treating him like a baby was his mother, after the other children beat him up or made him cry… when Zack treated him like that, Cloud turned sullen and grumpy, much like the way he was with Leon.

"I'm really sorry, Cloud…," Sora said, stroking his arm with a white-gloved hand. "I didn't know it would hit you so hard in the _head_!"

"Don't… just don't worry about it, kid," the blonde replied, turning towards the other spiky-haired one and forcing a grin. "It's alright. I'm proud - you beat me fair and square." He waited a bit before winking. "'No dark powers involved'."

The boy's mouth turned into a wide smile, his personality showing through, despite his apparent guilt. "Thanks." That didn't last long, though, as Sora frowned soon after, shoving his hands in his pockets.

Leon turned towards Sora and gestured towards the door of the holding pen. "Your next match is going to start soon."

"Yeah…" The teen sighed and made a face. "Against _Herc_. By myself…" Sora stuck his tongue out and added, "it's gonna suck."

Cloud chuckled at the comment before he reached out and swatted him lightly on the arm. "You can do it, you beat _me_, didn't you?" Leon rolled his eyes.

"Egotist."

"I try."

A bell blared, making both Sora and the blonde cringe, though both for different reasons - Sora didn't want to leave Cloud's side, and Cloud's head screaming in protest of the intruding sound. Leon gestured towards the exit again, and the little brunette nodded his consent.

"Good luck, Sora," the blonde said with a small smile, Leon thinly mimicking the expression.

"Thanks!" Sora then darted out of the room, summoning his Keyblade, chains leaving behind a metallic clanking sound. The oldest one turned to Cloud and frowned.

"You look terrible with red hair," he commented, humorlessly.

Cloud rolled his eyes, shakily bringing himself into a sitting position. Quickly he brought a hand to his still-aching head and brushed away some flecks of drying blood. He could feel his hair was still somewhat damp, and with small amusement realized that several spikes were still standing, even when tainted with the crimson fluid of his wound.

"I guess I need a bath, huh…," he half-stated, pulling his hand down to examine his dirtied, red fingertips.

"Not without help."

__

[Help, eh…?] "No, probably not."

Leon nodded at him and shrugged. "You can wait a couple more hours, right?"

"Yeah…"

The brunette bit his lip and turned his back on the younger man, focusing all his attention on Sora's seemingly futile battle with Hercules. He gasped suddenly before letting out a small laugh behind his hand.

"What's so funny?" Cloud asked, frowning.

"Sora just threw a barrel at Hercules' head," he answered, snickering.

With a small sigh, the blonde murmured, "that kid and chucking shit at people's heads…"

It took him nearly an hour, but the little Keybearer - despite the odds against him - actually managed to defeat Zeus' son, earning himself a large, golden trophy and an overwhelming round of applause from both the spectators and the two men in the holding pen.

The boy was in complete shock as he walked from the arena to the courtyard, blue eyes wider than anything Cloud had seen, and he could see why Sora was beaming with pride. It really was an amazing feat.

"I should've placed a bet," Cloud murmured, lightly shaking his head.

"You and me both," came Leon's reply, when the two men heard people cheering and carrying on outside the pen. They quickly shot each other questioning glances.

"You alright to see what's going on?" The blonde nodded and got up, with Leon's help.

When they stepped out into the courtyard, Cloud, against his will, broke out into a fit of unbefitting giggles at what he saw.

The little brunette was currently caught in the center of a writhing mass of people, all of them clutching pieces of papyrus as if their lives depended on it, and all of them begging for his autograph - a lot like Sephiroth's countless fangirls and boys back when he was a General, Cloud noted.

Poor Sora was doing all he could to keep the crowd happy, snatching papers and hastily writing his name on them now almost automatically. Though, his face looked frantic as he tried to sign them all, always the giving type, never turning anybody down even if he looked incredibly tired and frazzled. Watching with a bit of amusement, Cloud absently wondered where the boy's animal companions were and why they weren't around to help keep Sora's _many_ new admirers at bay.

Leon elbowed him and tilted his head, gesturing for the stairs in front of the Coliseum so they could sit and wait to congratulate the little hero.

Both men sat on the stairs for nearly two hours, watching - boredly, by that time - as the crowd dissipated slowly. Cloud noticed that after each signature, Sora would stop and shake the kinks out of his hand before resuming the daunting task of pleasing his 'fans'.

…he really was quite the little hero. Cloud wondered why the hell he never had so many groupies like that…

"I can't stand this anymore," Leon announced, standing up and stretching his arms over his head, allowing Cloud the tiniest glimpse of the other man's finely toned stomach. "I'll be back in a while, I have to talk to Phil about the next tournament he's holding." He looked down at the blonde, eyebrow raised speculatively. "Will you be alright by yourself for a while?"

"Yeah. I still want to talk to him, anyway," Cloud answered with a small smile, pointing slightly at the now-frustrated brunette. The taller man nodded and made his way to Phil's office.

The boy was still signing, and even though it was at a much slower pace. Thankfully for Sora, the pleased spectators finally thinned out to only a few, allowing him to finally catch a glimpse of Cloud. He smiled and waved before hurrying to sign a few final pieces of papyrus and dashing in his direction.

Cloud chuckled a little as the boy sat next to him, looking completely exhausted. "Have fun?"

"I wish I didn't win!" Sora replied, hands in his face. "Autographs are more work than the tournaments!"

The blonde chuckled, placing his elbows on his knees. Sora's face was bright red, most likely embarrassed by the numerous compliments and praises he had received by all those fans admiring his performance. "I'm sorry, but… congratulations. That was a really impressive fight."

"Thanks," the boy mumbled, flopping his head to his chest. "I'm so tired…"

Cloud nudged the teenager with his arm, nearly knocking him over. "So where have you been lately?" he asked, after a graceful moment of silence on the other's behalf. The question made Sora pout, his whole face showing lament.

"Dealing with Riku," the young brunette answered, sighing raggedly. "And… stuff with my friend Kairi…" He shook his head and went on, "it's bad. Kairi has no heart, and Riku…" Sora drew his eyebrows together, deep in thought. "Riku's been acting really different… like he hates me." He looked up at Cloud, blue eyes threatening tears. "I don't want him to hate me, Cloud…"

"Sora… even after all he's done, and all he _will_ do… how can you still consider Riku your Light?"

[…hypocrite.]

The boy's brow furrowed as he stuck out his lower lip into some semblance of a pout. "What do you mean?"

Cloud licked his lower lip and leaned forward on his elbows. After a moment's thought, he frowned and shook his head. "Why do you consider him your Light, exactly? Do you… love him?"

__

[You just seem so naïve and innocent…]

"I… I think I… really… do," Sora said, eyebrows furrowed. "But… he's my friend, you know? I… love him…," he glanced towards Cloud, grinning crookedly, "like _that_… I think… but… also like a brother, too, ya know?"

__

[How do you **know**, you're just a kid…] Cloud frowned a bit. _[…but then again… I was his age, too… when I fell in love with…]_

"I guess."

"…but, Kairi…"

The blonde tilted his head, studying the young boy's face as Sora clammed up. To Cloud, Sora was so_ innocent_… it was strange to think of him even considering something like love…

Even so, Cloud ruffled Sora's brown hair and smiled lightly. He tilted his head to the side, mouth screwed up, thinking. A gloved hand reached into his pocket. _[…I don't really need this…]_

"Hey, Sora." The blue-eyed boy looked up at the man, grinning.

"Huh?"

Cloud took the boy's hand and dropped the little chocobo keychain Aerith had given him earlier into it. Sora's eyes went wide, sparkling with childish joy, mouth dropping open. "Take it."

"Are you… _sure_?" he asked, voice hushed, to which the blonde nodded. "This should be pretty good… a little chocobo." Cloud furrowed his brow as he watched the younger one conjure up his Keyblade.

"What are you doing?"

Sora smiled impossibly wide, removing a keychain with the shape of a jack-o-lantern from the hilt of the Keyblade. Cloud watched with wide eyes as its shape slowly morphed back into what he assumed to be its original form.

"See, keychains are special," the teenager explained, gesturing with his hands as he did so. "When you put them on this little loop,—" he pointed to said loop "—it takes on the properties of that keychain. I never got one as a present, though, 'cept from Herc…"

"So you're going to see if that one works that way?" The brown-haired boy grinned.

"Yep!"

The tip of Sora's tongue settled itself on his upper lip as he carefully attached the keychain to the Keyblade's hilt. To Cloud's surprise, the Keyblade morphed yet again, into a very blocky but powerful-looking key in the same the color as the metal chocobo, fitted with a large, golden handle. Sora's eyes were alight as he grinned, tentatively swinging the newest Keyblade incarnation.

"Whoa!"

Cloud stared at the key. "Now that's pretty impressive…"

The spiky-haired boy wrinkled his nose. "Yeah, it _is_ pretty powerful, but," he pouted, "my magic ability seems a little weaker…" Seconds later he shrugged, perking up again. "But I like it a lot! Thanks, Cloud!"

__

[You should be thanking **Aerith**… what a **bastard **I am…] "You're welcome, kid." He smiled, adding, "I'm glad you like it."

"Are you done jabbering or _what_?!" Donald asked vehemently, waddling from the holding pen. "We got _work _to do!!"

Sora gave the blonde man a sad smile before looking at his duck companion. "Yeah, yeah." Sora craned his neck, looking behind Donald with a frown. "Hey… where's Goofy?"

"He's _still_ talking to Hercules about that dang _shield_," the duck replied sullenly. "Stupid _Goofy_."

The brown-haired boy pouted, crossing his arms. "Don't talk about him like that. We're all friends, right?"

"Ah, phooey," Donald replied with an added gesture that Cloud thought, if the duck had the correct number of fingers, would've been the equivalent of flipping the boy off. Irately the duck waddled past them both, apparently heading for the Gummi boarding dock. "Yeah, yeah, I'm getting outta here," he muttered, duck-ily. "I'll be in the ship, so hurry up!!"

"…someone's awfully happy today," Cloud muttered sarcastically as the duck left. He looked up at Sora, pout still on the teen's face. "Has he been like that a lot lately?" The boy nodded.

"I don't know why! All he's been doing is yelling!"

"H'yuck! Buh-bye, Herc!" Goofy shouted, trotting towards Sora, upper half twisted behind him comically as he waved. "Uh, hiya, _So_-ra!"

The boy waved half-heartedly and smiled a bit. "Hey, Goof."

Goofy bit his lip, his large eyes scanning the courtyard. His ears flopped around his face as he asked, "uhh… where's Donald?" Sora jerked a thumb in the direction of the dock, making a face.

"Waiting."

"…uh oh." Sora nodded and turned to Cloud.

"We gotta go or else Donald's gonna fling _fireballs _at us _again_," the boy said, pouting. He stepped forward, giving Cloud a quick hug. "But I'll see you later, Cloud. Get better!"

Goofy flashed a grin and waved bonelessly. "Buh-bye, Cloud! It sure was good ta see ya again!"

The blonde nodded and waved weakly. "Bye you two."

Goofy and Sora both trotted leisurely towards their Gummi ship, Sora chattering excitedly about the 'Metal Chocobo', as he dubbed his new Keyblade, and the dog about his new shield. With one final wave, they stepped into their loudly-colored vessel and out of sight.

[I wonder if they can defeat both me and Leon together…]

Cloud frowned when he read part of the tentative roster for the next tournament, posted up on a far wall. It was the _Hades_ Cup. Cloud had a sickening feeling that Hades was indefinitely participating in the competition, and the blonde was _not_ looking forward to seeing him again.

Not really surprised, he noted that Yuffie's name was also on the list, and Cloud presumed she had signed up the last time she and Leon were at the Coliseum, during the Pegasus trials, as the billboard said.

__

[Me, fighting side-by-side with that sexy… well, speak of the devil.]

"Hey, Leon."

The older man nodded as he walked out of Phil's office, holding two official entry tickets for the Hades Cup. He handed one to Cloud and sat down on the steps next to him with a sigh, elbows resting on his thighs, hands clasped together in the middle and hanging between his knees.

In short, the scarred one seemed quite unhappy.

An elbow popped out, shoving the older man in the side. "What's wrong?"

"I was thinking about earlier." Cloud blinked.

__

[…no bath?] "Yeah?"

Leon nodded and swallowed a lump in his throat. "Can… can we talk about this at the bathhouse?" Cloud blinked again.

__

[Oh, fuck, he was serious…?!]

"You wanted to take one, right?" the brunette asked, no ill intentions in his face.

[I'll be… naked? And… wet…? …Cloud's bath time with Leon… Talking in said bath with sexy, sexy Leon… with you-make-me-**painfully**-horny Leon… oh-how-badly-I-want-you Le—]

"Cloud!" Cloud blinked and looked up at the brunette. Leon was staring down at him, hands on his hips, looking more than slightly annoyed. "…start paying attention. I hate repeating myself."

"Um…what…?"

The other man sighed, tossing his hands into the air. "I said, 'I'm going to go back to the inn and get our things so we can take a bath and leave', okay?"

__

[…we? You're really… he's…] "Um… yeah."

"I'll be back soon."

The blonde nodded and blinked, staring as Leon jogged back to the inn.

[Oh gods oh gods oh gods oh gods…]

He took a deep breath as he felt his face burn a fiery red, thoughts of bathing with the brown-haired object of his current lust running rampant through his head, making his body all too prepared for it.

__

[…oh, gods…] Cloud winced and crossed his legs. _[…awkward…]_

He dropped his head back and sighed, both anxious and anticipating the impending bath.

[Or impending **doom**…]

Cloud's thoughts were on overdrive, both fear and rejection swirling around in his head, as well as the possibility of a _very _fulfilling bathroom romp tumbling into the mix.

[Cloud, he saidhe was **straight**…]

"You ready?" Leon asked, back sooner than Cloud hoped he would be, and holding two duffel bags by his sides.

__

[…you have no idea…] The blonde groaned, wishing he didn't have to stand up at that moment. He looked at his lap slyly and shook his head.

[Don't you make me do anything stupid…]

----------------------

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A/N: Revised 7/09/04. 1000 words added…

Fight… bath…

****

Many thanks goes to The Ansem Report ) **for the script copies of the reports I-X, and for the translations of Ansem's Reports XI-XIII from Final Mix. Great site, great theories. Go!**


	10. Part Nine

**__**

WARNING: Sephiroth's chapter is (surprise, surprise) VERY DARK. There is (what I consider) dark and disturbing imagery, and gore. If this offends you, please skip to Cloud's half… which contains a bit of Sephiroth x Leon x Cloud lime. .; And if THAT offends you… then skip the freakin' chapter entirely, alright?

****

Part Nine

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Everything I am and everything in me,  
Wants to be the one you wanted me to be.  
I'll never let you down even if I could,  
I'd give up everything if only for your good.  
------------------

"Explain your logic to me just once more," Sephiroth asked, chin resting on his fist, lips pursed. Zack's plan for opening the door was under tough scrutiny by the leather-clad ex-General, who found his spiky-haired mind partner's plan simply _absurd_.

__

/--Ugh, why do I have to explain it **again**?!--/

"Zackary, please. Indulge me."

He could feel the scowl on the other man's face, seeing as Zack had already told his former superior officer his 'strategy' five freakin' times already.

/--You **know **it. You're some weird Darkness-holding guy now, or have been since that blue fucker… whatever… yeah, so try and like… teleport or morph or faze in there or **something**! You did some freaky shit back when you were Jenova's puppet, I **saw **you do things like that, Seph…--/

"That wasn't me." Sephiroth raised his eyebrow skeptically. "But do you truly believe this will work?"

__

/--I don't know, I'm pulling this out of my ass!--/ Zack muttered._ /--It's a hunch. Besides, have I been wrong **before**?--/_ Before Sephiroth could answer with a positive, the black-haired SOLDIER went off on a tangent._ /--How about when I told you **not** to attack the door? Shit, even that fuckin' sneak attack during the war. And when I told you Cloud **did **want you? Remember **ALL** those times I was right and you were—--/_

"Enough," the silver-haired man interrupted, uncurling his fingers. "That's enough." He sighed, scratching his cheek with a fingertip absentmindedly. He closed his eyes, drawing his lower lip into his mouth, bobbing his head slightly in thought. Sephiroth sighed, throwing his hands into the air. "All right. But I've no clue how to start this."

Zack mentally shrugged. _/--I dunno either. Just… concentrate.--/_

"Always concentrating with you," Sephiroth mumbled, getting to his feet. His hands automatically went to brush himself off and tug at his clothes out of habit before walking steadily to the door, taking a deep breath. _/This is so idiotic,/_ he thought to himself, rolling his eyes.

__

/--…I heard that…--/

/**Oops**. My **mistake**,/ the ex-General thought back sarcastically. "I suppose it's worthy of a try."

__

/--Damn right it is.--/

"So full of yourself…" He dropped an eyebrow and tilted his head to the side. "How did you know about Jenova, Zackary?" Sephiroth frowned, making a face. "And how did you know everything else you have when all of the events occurred _after_ your death?"

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/--The Lifestream does some freaky shit, Sephy.--/

The silver-haired man frowned once more. "Do _not_ call me……'_Sephy_'," he reprimanded with a shudder before asking his intended question. "Is that where you are now? The Lifestream?"

__

/--No, I don't even know **where** I am… it's all… blank.--/

"'Blank'…? Care to elaborate?"

Zack sighed. _/--How can I elaborate when there's nothing to elaborate **on**? Like I said, it's blank. It's all black. And no, not 'Darkness' black,--/_ he finished before the other man could interrupt.

"…I see." He bit his lip, shaking his head. "Down to business, then."

__

/--Fan**tas**tic idea, Mr. General.--/

Sephiroth rolled his eyes. and stood in front of the door, staring at it with an eyebrow lowered, analyzing it. He'd looked at it countless times before, and it was always the same. When he attempted to do anything at all, he had no result, and he couldn't feel anything on the other side of the keyhole except that humming sensation. But he had to do something, this was apparently his only option for escape.

He wasn't able to call up a portal in this place, the windows in the room - if he could call them that - couldn't be opened or broken. The latter, he found when he, at Zack's insistence, heaved a heavy Victorian-style chair at it. He'd have sworn at himself afterwards for ruining such a lovely piece of furniture, since he had a feeling the window couldn't be broken after Ansem's beating on it. But instead, Sephiroth was busy swearing at Zack, who was laughing himself silly at the ex-General's expense for 'actually listening to such a bullshit suggestion'.

Sephiroth took a breath and crossed his arms, tilting his head to the side. "Which strategy am I to try now, Zack? No more mindless destruction, if you'd be so kind."

__

/--…um… you could try and teleport?--/

"I cannot teleport," he stated blandly, blowing a piece of hair away from his face.

__

/--Just try it… gods, why are you always so stubborn?--/

"It's my nature, you know this." Zack only sighed a response.

Sephiroth uncrossed his arms and dropped them to his sides, moving his fingers in a wave-like motion. He craned his neck downwards, rolling his shoulders, eyes closed in concentration. When he felt he was ready to attempt teleportation, he put all his thought into one goal - to get to the other side of the door, and find Riku.

Sephiroth felt a shudder pass through his body and clamped his eyes shut, putting all of his mental capacity into centering his body's energy in hopes of displacing his form. Fiercely he concentrated for what seemed like hours, his entire being shaking from the sheer exertion of will.

He was also pleasantly surprised that even Zack had shut up long enough for him to try anything.

__

/Are you able to help me?/

/--I don't know, but I'll at **least** **try**.--/

/…give it a rest./

He felt a slight pulling at his psyche as Zack fell silent once more. Sephiroth could feel the strain both he and his friend were going through as they attempted the teleportation stunt. Zack groaned loudly, and a slight wave of pressure slid over the silver-haired man's body. His legs gave out suddenly and he fell forward, arms outstretched, bracing himself on the door.

Sephiroth felt something akin to static electricity as his hands came into contact with the hard wooden door. It was as if his hair was standing on end as the crackling sensation crept through his hands and arms, finally dissipating near the expanse of his chest. A bead of sweat slipped from his forehead as Sephiroth stayed in place, hands locked to the door.

__

/--Gods, that's ENOUGH!!--/ Zack shouted, making Sephiroth tear his hands away. _/--This hurts too much, Seph!--/_

The ex-General shuddered as the last of the crackling left his now-numb hands. Blankly, Sephiroth stared up at nothing, mouth slightly open, and finally showed a sign of life as he shook his head.

/Why did you do that, Zackary? We were getting somewhere, or so it seemed./

/--Because it fucking HURT, Seph!! You didn't FEEL that?!--/

/What, a simple static shock? A First Class experiences more pain during basic training than that./

/--It felt like I was getting crushed, Seph, like I was an ant under your boot! Not even Demi spells hurt that much!--/

Sephiroth scratched his head idly, eyes still fixed on nothing. "I've no clue what you're on about."

__

/--I know you're 'Mr. **Tough** Guy' and all, but you couldn't have NOT felt **that**.--/

"No, only a small shock…" Sephiroth stood forward and took off a glove, examining his pale white palm. "Not even a mark. See?" He tilted his head and made a fist, uncurling his fingers slowly. There was no pain at _all_… "Hmm."

With his fingers splayed, the silver-haired man again placed his palm against the door. The static shock was gone as he touched the wood this time, but so was the feeling in his hand. He raised an eyebrow and pushed, hands numb to everything. Naturally, the door wouldn't budge, but something was… off.

Sephiroth pushed again, putting more force behind it than before, and frowned. "What is going _on_?"

__

/--Huh?--/

"It's odd, Zack. It feels as if the door isn't there at all, but… something else." He licked his lip and stepped forward, lowering his head to place his forehead onto the wood.

__

/--…what are you **on**?--/

Ignoring Zack, Sephiroth put his entire right side into the door, crouching slightly, before he straightened his legs and pressed himself into it.

"That… do you feel that?" he asked. Actually, it was as if his right side was completely absent where it was contacted with the door, like Sephiroth was leaning up against nothing at all. "Strange."

He pressed harder, eyes closed, and Zack murmured questioningly, _/--…I don't get it…--/_

Sephiroth licked his bottom lip and snorted, shaking his head. "Do you mind if we chance the 'fazing' again?"

__

/--…uh… I guess not…?--/

__

/Good. I would have done it anyway./

The ex-General furrowed his eyebrows and once again concentrated, leaning hard into the door. Zack's psyche joined him, only this time, Sephiroth's body immediately felt as his friend's did earlier. He was being compressed, or _something_, as a foreign noise echoed within his head. Even though his body was pleading for him to give up the struggle and let the pain pass, Sephiroth's mind was dead-set on passing through the accursed door by any means possible.

Zack whimpered a bit but said nothing, merely allowing his host to control the entire situation. They were both aching terribly - Zack's, of course, a mental ache but it was pain nonetheless - yet they couldn't stop. Using the Darkness, or something similar to it, had its consequences, and they were always painful ones. Riku had been raped, Ansem had been a wreck with agony as a part of himself meshed with the silver-haired boy's… but irregardless, Zack figured that they had to persevere; it was the only possible chance they had to escape.

Sephiroth felt himself expand then contract, bringing a grimace to his face. He was assaulted by even more unpleasant sensations, like he was being kneaded by a giant fist, crushing him almost completely before mercifully allowing him to regain his shape, only to go and crush him again. Tingles ran through his veins, causing him to shudder violently.

Black boots stomped back as Sephiroth slipped down the door, putting more of his weight into it. His head was ravaged by popping sounds similar to that of dislocating a joint, but knew that nothing in himself could have caused the noise - nothing even _moved_ out of place.

The man took in a ragged breath and pulled back slightly before ramming himself into the door. This _had_ to work…

His body once again was awash with that crushing sensation, only this time it was much worse; as if his entire being was being ground by a mortar and pestle. Zack let out a scream bare moments before Sephiroth did, the both of them no longer able to deal with the immense pain they shared. But, minutes later their screams died out. All of a sudden, it seemed, they felt no pain at all, every invading sound and sensation gone…

Opening his eyes, Sephiroth found himself laying on a cold stone floor covered with dust and dirt. He couldn't recognize his surroundings at all, and off the bat knew that this definitely _wasn't_ the same room he'd been in seconds earlier.

All around him was covered in grime, the ceiling nothing more than simple, dark grey stone with a hint of moss, the walls surrounding him all in the same fashion. The place was dark, its air thick and grossly damp. There was near to no light at all in the place, telling Sephiroth he was in a place with few - if any - windows in the area.

His glowing aqua eyes caught sight of a flame of one single candle in the distance, and he made a face.

__

/--Where the hell are we **now**!?--/ Zack asked, voice laden with frustration. _/--And when the hell did you black out!?--/_

Sephiroth shook his head and sat up, eyes darting around the hallway. "I don't know," he answered, voice echoing loudly against the bare walls. "The door is gone," he pointed out, blandly.

/Somehow, I'm not the least surprised by this turn of events./

__

/--Well, you're a psycho… and how the hell did a door just **disappear**?!--/

The silver-haired man sighed, getting onto his feet. A hollow sound was heard as his heels connected with the stone of the floor, making him cringe at the emptiness.

"So many questions," Sephiroth murmured before walking steadily to the light of the candle. He didn't know how he had seen it before… it seemed impossibly far away.

__

/--Ugh, just RUN there,--/ Zack grunted. There was more than a tinge of impatience in his tone, and Sephiroth narrowed his eyes but complied.

For some reason, the faster and farther he ran, he seemingly made no progress. He frowned and easily ran faster, having expected to reach his destination at that point.

__

/--Gods, what is TAKING so long?!--/ the black haired man whined. Sephiroth just pictured the look on his friend's face, a large pout, arms crossed, stomping his foot like an angry child.

__

/I half expect you to ask 'are we there yet',/ Sephiroth teased, head lowered. He looked up through his lashes and saw the flame again, slightly clearer than before. _/…five more minutes,/_ he deadpanned. He was in a better mood now that he was out of the room and able to move freely - even _if_ he was caught in yet another frustrating predicament.

__

/--That's not funny,--/ Zack muttered.

__

/It was to me./

The long, black-leather coat trailed behind him as he ran, feet barely touching the ground. He was built to be a fighter, with unnatural speed and stamina, allowing him to move like a blur. _/And yet, I still cannot close the distance between myself and that candle…/_

The man stopped abruptly when he heard something thumping down the hallway. Whatever it was didn't sound human at all… and it sounded _large_, with a slow, sliding gait, its feet - or, more likely, paws - landing solidly on the ground with each step.

It felt like years to Sephiroth since he last unsheathed the Masamune as he took his precious sword in hand, Mako-tainted aqua eyes staring dead ahead towards the source of the noise. He quickly yet silently made his way forward, ears and eyes on full alert for anything that could be considered a threat… like that apparent beast.

The shifting sound was closer, and Sephiroth also heard a low growling. He raised an eyebrow, head cocked, and asked, _/is that Guardian?/_

/--No… that thing kinda… floated… remember?--/

/Ah, you are correct, sir./

Sephiroth walked forward fearlessly, eyebrows drawn together. As he continued, the candle's flame quickly grew larger, its appearance now more like a torch than anything.

__

/--Maybe it **is** a torch,--/ Zack chided. The silver-haired man narrowed his eyes, continuing his quest down the dank hallway.

There was a slight pause between the sliding steps of the thing, the growling a bit louder, and Sephiroth knew whatever it was had picked up his scent. To Sephiroth's advantage, by the sound of it, the creature was indeed rather large, and most likely too big to allow it to strike first in the imminent battle, aware of the former General's presence or not.

Shadows played against the walls of the catacomb-like area, creating a sense of foreboding to Zack. He knew his friend was strong, but he still worried. Wild beasts as well as Heartless had a reputation of being extremely brutal and erratic with their actions, more than willing to put their lives on the line to obtain what they wanted. Not to mention that Riku's presence was strong in the vicinity, and there was no doubt Ansem was the one responsible for the beast - which was most likely serving as a guard.

Sephiroth moved quickly to close the gap between himself and the enemy, his seven-foot sword poised in front of him and ready to attack when necessary, hair flying elegantly behind him like a long silver banner, glittering even in the dank surroundings as he made his way forward until finally, a large creature came into view.

The beast was four-legged, completely covered in a dense, dark mat of tangled fur. Its eyes glowed eerily with a typical yellow light, red pupils shining out from the middle. It looked undoubtedly strong, the muscles of its back visible underneath even underneath the dark, coarse hair, but as far as Sephiroth could tell, the beast moved slowly, quite obviously hindered by its mass. Even the thing's head was large, with jaunty, shining black horns jutting out from the sides. Gleaming white fangs hung from its upper jaw, saliva slipping from deadly sharp points, hissing like acid as it hit the stone floor.

__

/Poison…/

/--You probably don't need this, but good luck, Seph.--/

/You're right,/ Sephiroth started, mouth twisting itself into a smirk, _/I don't need it./_

He dashed forward with lightning-fast speed, the Masamune gripped in both hands. The creature let out a howl as its attacker came into view, but it was too slow to remove itself from the path of the man's sword. The Masamune sunk deep into the base of the thing's neck, Sephiroth safely stopping several feet away from the animal before he twisted the blade and thrust upward, tearing further into the beast's flesh.

The man lifted his leg, placing his foot on the thing's chest to launch himself off of it, sword sliding easily from the howling animal. He watched as the animal snarled, maw oozing with a mixture of black blood and acidic drool as it swayed back and forth, dazed.

Before it could advance, Sephiroth struck again, slashing at its neck once more, easily slitting its throat with the deadly-sharp Masamune. Howling again, the thing lunged forward with its mouth wide open, head thrashing wildly, intending to take a bite out of its prey.

Sephiroth sneered and shot back, standing in a regal position as the animal bound forward. A sick feeling of pleasure surged through him as he watched the beast struggle, and he only wanted to add to that pain. The silver-haired man let out a feral growl and rushed forth, bringing the Masamune hard down onto the monster's skull, splitting skin and crushing bone.

Wilder now, the beast snapped its jaw forward in attempts to bite Sephiroth. Large drops of saliva splattered the floor and the man's clothes, hissing as it made contact, but the poison did no more than simple cosmetic damage. A huge paw rose and fell as it kicked violently at the man with the sword. It dropped its head and suddenly ran forward in vain, trying to put less distance between itself and Sephiroth, instincts telling it that it was at a severe disadvantage, and it needed to give itself an edge.

Sephiroth, being the Planet-reknown ex-General and tactical genius he was, wasn't about to let that happen.

He pulled the Masamune back and thrust it forward, plunging it deep into a glowing yellow orb. The eye burst as the silver sword slid effortlessly through it, passing deeper into the creature's head, piercing its brain before finally breaking through the thing's skull.

Its body convulsed, screaming growing progressively louder as the beast shook violently to free itself from the blade. Sephiroth released the Masamune and hopped back, scowling as the animal dripped gore, thrashing about wildly. Coldly Sephiroth watched the beast struggle in a vain attempt to jar the sword from its head, the silver-haired man emotionless as its good eye twitched, howling in pain. A small smile tugged at Sephiroth's lips as the beast finally collapsed, the brain functions ceasing with loss of blood, the wounds too great to bear.

Sephiroth walked forward, gingerly stepping through pools of blood to the beast's corpse. Reaching down, he took the hilt of his precious Masamune and pulled it slowly from the animal's carcass. His smile got wider as he lowered his head; to Zack's horror, Sephiroth began carving into the flesh of the beast's stomach, slipping its organs onto the dirtied floor.

__

/--Seph… what the hell…?--/

The blade still moved as the belly was emptied. Sephiroth raised the sword, bringing it down quickly to lop off one of the animal's thick, elephantine legs.

__

/--Seph, STOP, it's DEAD…--/

Ignoring Zack's plea, he stepped to the animal's head, poking its other eye with the very tip of the blade. Around the back, he tore into its spinal column, cords of flesh tearing effortlessly.

__

/--SEPHIROTH, knock it OFF!!--/ Zack tried to take control of his friend's hands, struggling with the man himself to release the Masamune.

"You don't enjoy my handiwork?" Sephiroth asked, voice sickeningly innocent. "Do you not remember the gruesome spectacle with Ansem and Riku? Do you not think this would be a warning for the man himself?" he murmured, gesturing towards the mass of flesh and organs and limbs that used to be a whole being.

__

/--Sephiroth, listen to me,--/ Zack started, voice calm, but the undertones spoke volumes of unease and worry for his troubled friend. _/--Even though he was most likely Ansem's, what you did… that… was uncalled for… it was dead… you didn't need to—--/_

"He didn't need to rape an innocent boy," Sephiroth interrupted. Zack's struggle with the Masamune had stopped, and the silver-haired warrior bent forward, wiping the blade clean on matted black fur. "Extravagance is one of my strong points, Zackary," he added, sheathing his precious sword. With one final kick to the monster, boot landing on its chest with a dull thud, Sephiroth scolded quietly, "how could you forget that?"

Calmly he walked away, using the torch's flame as a guiding light.

__

/--I know, Seph, I know, but… that was… just…--/ The black-haired man sighed loudly in defeat. _/--The hell's the use, you won't listen to a damn word I ever say. You **never** listen to a **fucking thing** I tell you.--/_

"Just the way things are, Zackary, you've dealt with it for years," Sephiroth responded, voice cold and unfeeling.

Zack shuddered mentally. He knew his friend was prone to fits of that nature, breaking when the pressure was high before retreating into the protective shell he employed during battle… but he never witnessed his friend do anything like what he just did. That fact was unnerving; Zack feared the Darkness in this place would consume Sephiroth, and the dead SOLDIER definitely _didn't_ want him to lapse back into the gates of insanity.

__

/--…it's alright, Seph. But please… keep your mind on the task at hand, okay? Please. I just…--/

Sephiroth raised a delicate eyebrow. "'Just' _what_?" he asked, more out of habit than anything.

__

/--…worry about you is all…--/

"Don't. I don't need you to worry about me, Zackary, I'm _fine_," he growled, clenching his fist.

Muttering a curse, he again shot forward, running fast towards the torch. The flame grew bigger and bigger until finally Sephiroth calmly stood in front of it, not one breath or hair out of place, feeling the torch's heat beating upon his face.

Without thinking, Sephiroth grabbed it, force behind the pull nearly tearing the sconce off the wall it was bolted to. Suddenly, he heard a creaking sound behind him and spun around, only to face a small, curious gap in the wall.

"I think we've found something here," Sephiroth stated, peering at the gap.

__

/--Jinkies!--/ Zack shouted; the silver-haired man blinked at the strange expression and shook his head.

"Settle yourself, Knightblade."

Sephiroth cautiously stepped forward, pushing on the wall. To his surprise, it slid open easily, and he turned back to look at the wall he tore the torch from, only to find a small button underneath the now-upside-down sconce. He examined it closely and shook his head before stating the obvious. "It was a lock release…"

/--Yeah, great, now stop bullshitting!--/ Zack ordered excitedly. And for once, Sephiroth agreed with his friend's crass sentiment.

He again walked forward, passing through the hidden hatchway and into another long hallway. This one, however, was vastly different from the last. It was only approximately two feet wide, its ceiling too low for Sephiroth's tall frame - he had to hold his head uncomfortably low to pass through, and even then he just barely avoided banging his head on its rafters. Beams crossed along the length of the walls to support the structure, and all around the hall was paneled with other decaying wood.

__

/--This place is freaky.--/

"I'm inclined to agree," Sephiroth said, holding the torch in front of him. The hallway was pitch black and indeterminably deep, dank like the rest of the place. Wood was rotting in places, though the supports weren't threatening to give out. The air reeked of rot and dirt and mildew, and carried a sense of dread; neither Sephiroth nor Zack had a clue where they currently were, though the simple term 'underground' came to mind more than once.

__

/--You see anything yet?--/ the black-haired apparition asked, boredly.

/Of course not. Don't you see what I see?/

Zack paused, mulling the question over in his mind. _/--…not exactly. It's weird…--/_

"…my, now that is a _shocker_," the silver-haired man remarked sarcastically, keeping his eyes dead ahead, keen eyesight able to pick out anything out of place in the darkness.

__

/--…shut up. But I mean… I don't exactly see through your eyes. I **do**, but I can kinda… sense things, too. And that it makes a picture in my mind. I'm kinda like a bat,--/ Zack laughed before continuing, _/--I can see 360° if I wanted to. Freaky shit, huh?--/_

"Indeed," Sephiroth stated, indifferently. He wasn't sure how far he had walked in total since stepping into this pit of a structure, but his entire body was still burning to move.

__

/--I see something…--/

Sephiroth raised an eyebrow and squinted, attempting to see what his friend did. "What is it?"

__

/--It looks like - surprise! - yet **another** door.--/

"I don't care. It's progress, at least." He started forward, footfalls hitting the wooden boards loudly, echoing down the walls.

The further down he ran, the more crooked and shabbily laid the boards became, some missing entirely and making way to a dark dirt floor. Sephiroth even nearly tripped several times due to the jutting boards but naturally, recovered quickly, stopping only when he arrived in front of the door his friend somehow spotted earlier.

Sephiroth swallowed a lump in his throat and reached for the small knob on the door. "Are you prepared?"

__

/--…what the helldo **I** have to be prepared for?--/

The ex-General let out a laugh and shook his head. "Yes, you're right. Force of habit around you, I suppose." He turned the knob and the door popped open with a creak. He held his torch in front of him and stepped through, only to pale at what he saw.

__

/--…by the gods…--/

__

------------------

__

[Oh gods oh gods oh gods oh gods—]

'Oh gods' was the only coherent thought Cloud had been able to manage since Leon returned with their luggage, announcing it was time for the two to take a bath. He couldn't kill the mental images of Leon naked, either, and the more he thought about it, the darker his face turned… and at the moment, Cloud's face nearly matched the color of his cape. His hands trembled slightly as Leon chatted about nothing in particular on the way to the bathhouse, and all Cloud could reply with were either nods or shakes of his head.

But for some reason, the brunette hadn't seemed to notice his odd behavior.

Cloud's jaw dropped when they arrived at their destination. The structure was amazing. This bathhouse was definitely _not_ the one Phil told him to use…

Various shades of tan slates covered the floor, mixed with small marble lining, beautiful mosaics of colored stone decorated the walls. The ceiling was high, covered with filled carvings of Grecian gods and goddesses, even one of Hercules himself. Potted plants were placed against the walls in between large statues of even more gods carved from marble, and golden accents around the large bath's rim, the bath itself made from matching tan slates and marble.

The air in the room was warm from the outside and from the water, and moist, almost like a sauna. Upon quick inspection, Cloud found that the bath itself looked surprisingly clean, the water clear and rippling as if someone had just been in there. Even more stone pillars matching those in the Coliseum decorated the walls - not too out of place, seeing as the bathhouse was actually in an annex of the building, though it was primarily used by nearby residents of Olympus. Cloud supposed, at least, since _he_ never used it…

Unruffled, Leon made his way to one of the two baths and gestured for the blonde to follow.

__

[…oh gods…]

The brunette dropped his bags by the side of the tub and kneeled, zipping up his pants from his ankles to his knees before pushing the opened leather aside, removing his shoes. Soon after he stripped off his gloves, removing his jewelry before tucking his necklace in a shoe. "I don't want to lose it," he explained, not bothering to look up. Apparently, Leon wasn't aware he was doing a little striptease for the very horny blonde.

And Cloud simply stared.

__

[………oh, gods……]

Next came the jacket, tossed carelessly over the shoes. The older man took his time with his straps and belts, unbuckling each one meticulously and placing it down before moving on to remove the next one; and soon enough, all Leon wore were his pants and his shirt.

The blonde was very, very close to salivating. Or dying of joy. Either way, he was very painfully aware of a dull groan creeping its way to his throat. He barely noticed that his actions may have been a bit suspicious, considering he was still completely clothed and staring as his friend got undressed…

__

[…oh my gods, oh gods oh gods oh gods oh gods oh gods…]

Leon took off his shirt finally, pulling it out of his waistband and he tugged it over his head, mussing his hair even more. Appreciatively, Cloud blinked. The other man was built like - befittingly, maybe even cliché enough… - a Grecian god.

Slowly he raked his eyes from the other man's beautiful face, down to an elegant but masculine neck, slightly protruding collarbone that he wanted to touch… and lower…

He looked at the man's strong shoulders and arms, muscles well defined under lightly tanned skin, and a broad chest, toned, perfect in every way Cloud could see. Leon's abs looked very worked out, skin smooth and flawless. The brunette was also completely hairless, even around his cute little navel which Cloud just felt like utterly ravaging.

Cloud finally looked away as the other man was taking off his pants.

__

[…oh gods… leather pants… sexy… want… sex… Leon… hard…]

At least, he looked away until he couldn't take it anymore - he _had _to look. Eyes passing over Leon's face and chest and torso again, getting their fill of a very nice body before stopping at his waist, and that navel… his eyebrow raised when he saw a small spot a few inches below it. So, Leon had another little black tattoo, this time of a lion.

[…sexy…]

Lower…

Cloud's eye twitched.

[…oh… my… **gods**…]

The blonde liked what he saw. Though Leon was no Sephiroth… "…oh gods…"

Leon's head snapped up, eyes catching sight of a very red, _very_ staring, very _obviously_ horny Cloud. He blinked a few times and coughed, then slipped into the bath. A small tint of red touched his cheeks as he turned away, sitting with his back to the smaller man. The look Cloud was giving him… "…what?"

__

[…oh, **FUCK**, don't… **don't **tell me… I **MOANED **that…]

"…oh gods…"

Thankfully, his voice was far too quiet for the other man to hear.

The brunette shook his head, shaggy brown hair brushing his bare shoulders. "Are you coming in or what?"

Cloud's eye twitched again when he heard the small splash of water as Leon shifted and turned around. "You have to wash your hair."

No, no… Cloud wanted to die.

[How the **FUCK **am I going to get in there with a fucking **raging hard-on**?]

"…um…" His eyes darted side to side, looking for anything to use as a distraction. "…I… um… have to… gotothebathroom," he said quickly before dashing outside, ducking in a copse of bushes in the back of the bathhouse.

He shook the blonde hairs from his eyes and deftly undid his pants before reaching one naked hand inside, needing to do something to relieve that tension. He hated feeling that desperate, but he had to; there was no other way to go about it… or, at least, no way that wouldn't freak Leon out and cause the man to abandon him there in Olympus for Cloud dare thinking _that way_ about him.

It was foolish to think of how badly he lost his self-control over something so natural as nudity - after all, he should have been used to it. ShinRa had nothing but communal showers for both SOLDIERs and recruits alike, and he had seen his peers naked on a daily basis, but nothing like that ever happened to him… even _Zack's_ body - at least, before Sephiroth - had ever pushed Cloud to the point where he had to do something so desperately needy as that…

__

[Oh, gods…]

Intent on making this go as quick and inconspicuously as possible, Cloud conjured up several nice but naughty set of images and situations to hurry the process along.

In his mind's eye, he saw the other man kneeling over him, that thick, sable hair hanging seductively in his hooded eyes as Leon untucked the navy SOLDIER turtleneck from the blonde's waistband. As his shirt was pushed up, the ex-SeeD placed sucking kisses upon his bare flesh, mouth stopping at the younger man's chest. Fantasy-Leon looked up into fantasy-Cloud's eyes and flicked his tongue over a nipple experimentally, smirking at the pleased utterance he received.

…not that Cloud wanted the older man to smirk during sex… he just imagined that Leon would be the type to do so. Not unlike Sephiroth, Cloud could see Leon being _that _confident in himself.

His eyes rolled into the back of his head as his hand slid methodically over his hardened flesh, thoughts of Leon plaguing his mind. No… of Leon and _Sephiroth_, the two of them together as the blonde himself watched; both of the older men tugging at each other's tight leather clothing, hard bodies molded against one another's as their tongues explored opposite mouths in plain sight, strong hands pulling at and touching anything they could. Cloud groaned at the idea and continued stroking himself, glad his mother had always encouraged him to have a vivid imagination.

The need for release grew and Cloud reclined, arching into his hand; in his head he was being taken by both men, the two of them stimulating his body in ways he could only dream about… of Leon moving determinedly, deep inside of him, the brunette's breathing erratic as he careened towards orgasm, a tight grip upon Cloud's hips. And Sephiroth lounging in front of him, legs parted slightly, with both hands tangled into golden hair as Cloud's mouth dipped lower around his arousal, Sephiroth moaning his approval in that rich, throaty voice of his…

Cloud knew he shouldn't have entertained such thoughts… he knew it, but he couldn't find it in himself to stop the onslaught of things he really, _really_ wanted…

In a matter of minutes he finally finished, body stiffening against his own hand as he bit down on the leather of his clawed glove to muffle the sharp cry building in his throat; he needed _something_ to keep quiet. The absolute last thing he needed was for Phil to catch him in such a state. Even if he was laying on his back and hidden in the bushes, Cloud was aware the satyr could find the source of the noise, if he wanted to.

After taking a moment to calm his breath, Cloud let his teeth slip from the glove as a bead of sweat trickled down into his blue eyes. Lazily he wiped it away, still feeling the tingling aftermath of such an intense sensation, and, for the moment, sated.

So with one problem down, he only had two more to go: the first being, go back into the bathhouse and _bathe_ with the scarred man he just fantasized about…

The second was trying to find a way to keep the very obvious white stain on his pants out of view until he could wash it out.

Cloud grimaced and wiped his hand on a soft thatch of grass, then tried to brush away the stray fluid from his pants. Carefully, he took the corner of his mantle and rubbed at the fabric, shaking his head. _[I can't believe this…]_

When he had wiped away enough traces of evidence of what exactly he had been doing, Cloud let out a sigh as he numbly zipped his pants back up, taking a final moment to calm before pushing himself to his feet and walking shakily to the bathhouse.

To _bathe_.With_ Leon_.

"…you alright?" the older man asked, noticing the slight stagger in the blonde's walk as he reentered the tan-colored room. Cloud just waved his hand, not risking eye contact.

"Yeah… fine."

Leon brought his eyebrows together questioningly when the blonde took off only his shoes, mantle, belts and armor, before he abruptly stopped undressing, frozen to the spot.

"…do you want me to close my eyes…?" the ex-SeeD asked a full minute later, after Cloud hadn't made any move to finish the task.

Childishly, Cloud found himself nodding, face completely red. He felt like an ass, asking Leon to turn away from his nudity like that. It wasn't like countless others hadn't seen him naked before…

…actually, it wasn't even that big a deal to Cloud if people saw him that way. He could be shy, yes, but he had done it before back on the Planet. During his travels, he used to bathe with the other men of AVALANCHE wherever they could find clean-looking ponds or deep streams, just as the girls did - only at a different spot - and that was perfectly fine. Though, Cloud's body had changed since then, with the hideous wing… but Leon was accepting of that either way, so the blonde was sure, in Leon's eyes, that he was acting embarrassed for nothing.

But, being the gentleman he was, the brunette complied without qualms, closing his eyes then covering them with his hands to prove he wasn't looking. Cloud quickly stripped and slipped into the tub, nearly curling himself into a ball in the corner, eyes wide and staring off into space.

Yes, he felt like a complete and total jackass… but he was _naked_, and _wet_… with _Leon_.

"…can I uncover my eyes yet? I have to finish bathing."

Cloud's reply was a squeak.

A brown eyebrow raised as he looked blankly at the huddled mass that was Cloud, seemingly paralyzed in the tub. Leon didn't understand why the younger man was doing that sort of thing; the water was warm and comfortable, and he made sure not to do anything to intimidate the blonde… though, he was trying his best not to stare. Cloud was… very… nice-looking.

Instead of questioning the younger man's motives, Leon sighed, grabbing a bar of harsh soap. "Will you stop being so timid?" he muttered, "take your _bath_."

Deciding that doing what the other one suggested would seem less conspicuous than freaking out, Cloud breathed in and out a few times before completely filling his lungs and dunking his head under the water. He came back up without a sound and took a bar of soap, eyes lowered as he lathered himself up and quickly washed off the slick suds.

"Why are you being so quiet?" Leon asked, "is something wrong?"

__

[…because I want to fuck you and don't know how to tell you that?] "I'm alright."

The brunette smirked lightly, rinsing himself off. "Gasp, it speaks," he commented dryly.

Cloud frowned at the comment, bringing the soap up to his hair and rubbing.

"Ow, FUCK!" came the loud shout. Somehow he forgot the little happening during the Hercules Cup and had accidentally scrubbed the gash on the back of his head. The injury stung, flesh prickling, and immediately the still-slightly unhealed wound seeped blood. "Shit, how the hell… am… I…"

Curiously, he trailed off as Leon reached out to place his hands on his shoulders. Cloud blinked. Bodily contact with the older man was actually the last thing he figured would really _happen_ in the bath…

Leon's cheeks were slightly flushed, bluish eyes fixed on Cloud's own, his hands squeezing the blonde's shoulders just a bit before relaxing in a seemingly unsure gesture. The blonde's breathing became slightly strained when he saw Leon shift slightly forward.

[Oh gods oh gods is he going to kiss me…?!]

Leon licked his lower lip, drawing his eyebrows together in consideration. Blinking several times, the ex-SeeD took a deep breath, giving his head a little shake. He cleared his throat before he removed his hand from Cloud's shoulder and grabbed the soap from the mercenary's hand, turning him around in the tub.

Heart pounding in his throat, Cloud swallowed the lump which built up there and thought, _[…oh GODS… so close… he **looks **like he… wants…]_

Bright blue eyes fluttered closed as he felt the older man gingerly finger one of his spikes, surprising the blonde as Leon went on to wash his dirtied hair.

"…you can't see the back of your head, so…," the other man explained quietly, rubbing clumpy strands of wet, bloodied hair between his fingertips to work the soap in. "Sit tight… this may take a while; your hair is a mess."

__

[…I… Leon, what the fuck… I don't **get **you…] "…'s… okay…," the blonde murmured, a small frown on his face. He sat with his head tilted back for Leon's sake, shoulders slumped forward, hands resting on the knees of his Indian-style crossed legs. While Cloud was a bit embarrassed about his wing being so exposed and in full view to Leon, but Leon didn't seem to give it a second thought, seemingly absorbed in his new task.

[Last person to wash my hair was Seph…,] he snickered quietly despite himself. _[And that's not **all** we did…]_ The blonde leaned back slightly, arms and shoulders covered in goose-bumps. It was nice…

"What's so funny?"

Cloud blinked. No, he definitely didn't want to let the older man know the track his mind was once again following.

"Nothing… so, what did you want to talk about…?"

Leon stiffened and stopped washing the spiky, golden hair. He sighed heavily, breath traveling over Cloud's shoulders in an unknowingly, painfully erotic gesture which made Cloud shiver against his will.

"Ah… just about things I said in the Gummi ship," he said, resuming with the gentle washing. Leon paused his motions soon after, tilting his head contemplatively before grabbing a small urn set beside the rim of the bath.

"Oh?"

The older man filled the urn up with water and poured it slowly over Cloud's head, rinsing out the soap from now-matted locks. "Yeah. If you don't mind…," he replied, kneading suds from the blonde hair with agile fingers as water flowed through it.

__

[…oh, fuck… maybe we'll get lucky, after all…,] he thought, looking between his legs. _[…it's been a long time since another person, hasn't it?]_

Cloud hastily pushed the thought aside and let out a sigh, leaning back into Leon's touch. "No, I don't mind," he said softly, eyes closed. Before he knew it he shuddered, followed by a contented sigh of pleasure. _[…got good hands…]_

"I realize this is an awkward place to talk, but… it's easier than on the Tiny Bronco." Leon lathered and rinsed Cloud's hair again, less careful on the second go. Finally he looked for any stray traces of dried blood, but found none as he passed his hands through the blonde locks again. Biting his lip, the older man couldn't help himself as he trailed his hands from Cloud's hair down his neck.

__

[…gods…]

Cloud's eyes fluttered closed, craning his neck forward, giving the other man better access to the back of it. He bit back a moan of wanton, expectation of things to come. Cloud heard Leon's breath hitch when suddenly, the hands were torn away and moved back to their rightful place. Pushing himself away, the brunette dunked himself under the water, intent on caring for his own hair.

[…godDAMMIT.]

"Dammit, Leon…," the blonde muttered at the other man as he was still underwater.

"Um… I… I'm… I'm still surprised I…" He paused, biting his lower lip. "That… I told you as much about myself as I did," he mumbled after he came back up, eyes flitting nervously about the room.

Cloud had his back to the other man when he spoke, a frown on his face, inattentive of Leon's abnormal behavior. But he shoved disappointment aside and turned to face the other man with a small sigh, simply relaxing while Leon washed.

The blonde couldn't help but squirm, a dull throb growing in his lap as he watched the strong muscles of Leon's body flex and contract as he moved. "Whatever you want to tell me about yourself is appreciated, though," Cloud said genuinely, giving the older man a small smile.

[…this sucks… tell me you like other guys…]

Leon nodded, hands soapy and buried in the shaggy brown locks of his hair. Cloud bit back a wide grin as he went on watching the other man, drops of water glittering on his arms and chest as he worked. "I'm just glad you actually listen."

Finished lathering, the brunette grabbed the urn and proceeded to completely rinse the suds from his hair, setting the container off to the side. He leaned back and looked Cloud in the eyes as he continued, "because I remembered something about… my Light. And I just… wanted to get your opinion on… something…"

"Oh," the blonde commented quietly.

[What the hell did I expect? A proclamation of love? Gods. Idiot.]

"I… I never told her I loved her…" Leon's eyebrows drew together as he crossed his arms, looking distractedly away. "But I'm nearly positive she loved _me_…"

"You didn't…? Why not?"

The brunette shrugged. "Because I just… didn't."

"Wait…," the mercenary paused, studying the older man across from him. "…you _really_ didn'tlove that girl?"

Leon's lips quirked into a sad smile, wet hair falling limply in his face. "No." He shook his head slowly, letting out a small sigh. He unfolded his arms and leaned back, hands resting on his knees, and murmured, "I thought I did… she was like an angel, yes, but… I couldn't _really_ love her." Leon made a face, still looking off to the side, eyes dreamy as he stared off into space. "I already loved someone else… so…" The older one let the sentence give way to a sad chuckle.

The blonde raised an eyebrow questioningly. "…unrequited?" Leon shrugged.

"Maybe."

"…but you said she was your Light…"

"Saying someone is your Light doesn't necessarily mean you have to love them romantically," Leon murmured quietly, folding his hands and pressing them to his lips, greyish blue eyes fixed on Cloud's face. The older man frowned as he did so, Cloud's questioning gaze pinning him in place.

Cloud's face filled with confusion as his eyebrows drew together, meeting in the middle of his forehead. He pursed his lips and leaned forward, bracing himself on his elbows. "No?"

Leon slowly shook his head, expression solemn. Cloud noted that the ex-SeeD had a faraway look in his eyes… almost nostalgic. "No."

"Oh. But how is that…?"

"In my case? I think it was because she made me care… at least enough to realize that I was _already _in love…," he sighed quietly. "With the wrong person… you could say… it was stupid…"

The blonde warrior frowned, head cocked to the side as he asked, "how… the wrong person? I don't—"

"It's just the way it was," Leon interrupted, looking away angrily. It was apparent that this was a touchy subject, and Cloud winced as the brunette quickly stood and grabbed a towel. In record time, Leon dried himself off before throwing his clothes back on.

Cloud bit his lip, staring at the other man's flurry of movement. _[Something's really off…]_

"…want to talk about _that_…?"

"No, not anymore. I believe I've said too much _already_." Leon gestured towards Cloud with his chin. "Are you ready to go home or what?"

Cloud blinked a few times, casting the older man a questioning gaze before he shrugged and grabbed his own towel. _[Always running, aren't you, Leon?]_ "Yeah."

He followed suit, waving at the brunette to again turn around so he could dry himself - that was, without anything suspicious catching Leon's eye… though that familiar mood swing of his was definitely not sexy, in Cloud's opinion.

They were in the Gummi mere minutes later, making tracks back to Traverse Town as they took up their former positions - Cloud manning the Osmose-G, and Leon flying expertly.

"Where did you learn to _fly_ like that?" the blonde asked, awed by a particularly interesting barrel-roll and laser combination, the spin itself avoiding asteroids while the lasers took out four Heartless ships simultaneously.

The older man shrugged. "Cid." Cloud raised his eyebrow.

"He had enough patience to teach you these maneuvers?"

"I'm a quick learner," Leon replied boredly, taking down some more Heartless. Taking his cue, Cloud scooped up more of the remains with the Osmose-G. "Besides, he's a busy man. Doesn't have the time to cart everyone wherever they want to go."

"I see," the blonde nodded, eyes slowly closing. He let out a yawn and stretched… the day had been rather draining for him, what with the tournament and the concussion and the masturbating and the bath and all that…

"Go to sleep," Leon said, shrugging. "We'll be back in a few hours."

"Thanks, Leon." Cloud complied, easily slipping into a welcome slumber.

During his rest, the blonde had a dream for the first time in years.

In it, he was back home in Nibelheim, with ShinRa's actors and actresses milling about the streets, pretending to live everyday, normal lives, at the same time covering up their company's lie. None of the inhabitants talked to one another, and all of them had that shared, distant look in their eyes, all of them reflecting their guilt and never-ending boredom.

Though, in Cloud's opinion, they made the place ugly, more so than his childhood did. So much so, in fact, that he sort of wished that ShinRa never rebuilt the place and simply left it nothing but rubble and ash, doing away with his hometown, courtesy of Sephiroth…

And in the dream, he saw Tifa. She was a little girl again, holding her father's hand as he proudly paraded his bouncy daughter through the deadened streets of the quaint mountain town. Little Tifa trotted along happily, a small tulip from the base of Mt. Nibel clutched in her hands, brown hair in pigtails on either side of her head. She looked just as Cloud remembered her when she was younger, so carefree and happy to be alive… he had such a crush on her back then…

He looked around town, at the well he made his promise to the girl he barely knew. She wasn't a terrible girl to him, not like the rest of the kids his age. But she _was_ distant, because Cloud and his mother were 'bad news', according to the rest of the sheltered townsfolk. Cloud's father had passed away when he was just a baby, and he and his mother moved to Nibelheim shortly after, to the town where they were both shunned for her being a single mother, even though they hadn't cared to ask why, only assumed.

Once in a while, Tifa gave the spiky-haired boy a smile and a wave before running off with her friends. She was the only one in town who never shunned him, though they weren't close by any means, she was still decent. She had even asked him to play once, though he had declined - he had too much of a crush on the girl at the time to do little more than wave, anyway.

Thoughts of such life in the little girl and her father added a stark contrast to the dead city around them. It was like the entire town was in black and white, and only Tifa and Mayor Lockhart were in color. Cloud frowned slightly as he watched the two reach their large home, stepping up the walk and into the house.

Nibelheim was dead again as Cloud woke up, tears of regret streaming down his face.

----------------------

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A/N: Chapter revised 7/11/04, 2k words added, and also my--uhm, I mean, **Cloud's** fantasy threesome… ahem. .;; I should've written that in the first place instead of just hinting at it. Bah. . Yes, yes I AM a smut-loving pervert, however could you tell…

Seph's side still seems corny to me. The fazing thing… -.- But it took me a bit of thinking to decide how to get them out of the room, so I sorta half-assed it. ::shrugs:: And pointless gore… aah… silly angry Sephiroth. How I love that man… ♥


	11. Part Ten

****

Part Ten

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So hold me when I'm here  
right me when I'm wrong  
You can hold me when I'm scared,  
you won't always be there,  
So love me when I'm gone.   
------------------

A sickened gasp caught in Sephiroth's throat as he stood frozen, staring in front of him. Zack murmured incoherent thoughts at the sight, attempting to get the other man to move, to help. They were both disgusted, and rightly so, and now they weren't at all surprised to find out why the room had been set so far back and hidden so well.

Riku's limp body was strung to crossed beams on the wall, tied by his wrists and ankles, practically crucified. His head hung forward, lying against his chest, aqua eyes cracked open but inhumanly blank and dull, utterly lifeless.

Even the teen's skin was paler than normal, almost completely blanched, white enough to glow ethereally from the light of the torch. His clothes were dirtied and torn, blood randomly spattered along them, pants hanging off his body as if he had been hurriedly dressed - which was most likely the case.

Sephiroth was surprised to see that Ansem had bothered to dress Riku at all…

He stuck the torch in a nearby knothole on the floor when he finally broke out of his daze. Sephiroth charged forward to place his head on the boy's chest, listening for any signs of life. Riku's heartbeat was practically nonexistent, but he was still breathing, deathly shallow and ragged as it was. The teen's body was visibly straining to sustain life, and Sephiroth couldn't help but wonder how Riku had lasted so long with such a lack of oxygen. The heartbeat, on the other hand, Sephiroth chalked up to Ansem.

Ripping the Masamune from its sheath and with expert precision, the silver-haired man went on to slice through the ropes that bound the boy to the makeshift cross. Riku fell limply onto Sephiroth's chest, hair matted and dangling in his face, body desperately cold. Carelessly, the ex-General tossed the Masamune aside and collapsed onto the floor, cradling Riku in his lap, one strong arm supporting the back of the teenager's head.

"Riku, wake up," he stated quietly, a hand cupping the boy's chin. Riku's eyes moved slightly under his lids, but otherwise gave no other signs of life.

Sephiroth pulled a glove off with his teeth and again took the teenager's face in his hand, pale skin burning with cold. "_Riku_," Sephiroth said louder, trying to attract the boy's attention. He lightly tapped a round, white cheek with bare fingers, and tried again. "RIKU."

Still, the teen had no reaction to the strike, or the words.

__

/--Shit, Seph… his heart…--/

Sephiroth bit his lip and tilted the Riku's head back, searching his bruised neck for a pulse. It was still quite weak, and he knew he had to do something to help, but didn't know what he _could_ have done. He shook Riku violently in attempts to jar him awake, but the silver-haired head only lolled lifelessly on his shoulders from the jostling, Riku's entire body limp.

"Riku, _please_ wake up…"

Riku's lips moved just barely, mouthing words Sephiroth couldn't hear. He moved his ear close to the teen's face, but found the words were mute - air wasn't even pushing past his lips.

Quietly, Sephiroth asked, "…can you understand him, Zack?"

__

/--…no…--/

Sephiroth swore under his breath, pulling Riku's body up to his chest, holding him close. The boy's head rested on his shoulder, entire being a dead weight against him. The older man rocked back and forth, rubbing the teen's back in small circles as gently as possible. "Come on, Riku, please hear me…"

Riku took in a sharp breath and Sephiroth jumped, pulling him back to look in his face. His expression was a pained one, caught only for a brief moment before reverting back into its previous dead appearance. Sephiroth frowned and kissed the boy's cheek before resting his own on it, whispering in Riku's ear.

"I know you can hear me, Riku. Wake up." The older man's voice was shaky, filled with worry. Riku had a metallic, leaden smell to him that made Sephiroth cringe. It was a foreign and unpleasant scent, disgustingly thick and heavy, and something most definitely not human.

__

/--Come on, kid…,--/ Zack chipped in, even though his trying to rouse the boy would be useless. Sephiroth was the only one he knew of that could hear him, after all.

Sephiroth placed his hand on the back of the teenager's head, stroking his dulled silver hair. "Come back to me, Riku. Listen to my voice, _please_."

The boy's hand twitched on a badly bruised wrist but, as expected, stilled shortly after. The silver-haired man frowned at the rope burn on the delicate wrists, wondering how long it was that Riku had been hanging that way.

"Please, Riku."

__

/--He hears you, I know he does, just keep talking, do **something**…--/

"I'm _trying_," Sephiroth growled. He kissed the boy's ear and rocked again, rubbing his hand up and down the boy's back comfortingly. Jauntily, Riku's gloved hand twitched again on Sephiroth's leg.

"Riku. Be _strong_, Riku, you can _survive this_. Follow my voice, I can _help_ you," the older one pleaded, placing his lips against Riku's ear once more and grimacing at that metallic scent.

Zack winced mentally as he blurted out, _/--gods, Seph, don't **make out** with the kid!--/_

Thankfully, his statement went unheeded as Sephiroth laid the boy into his lap, holding his cheek in one bare hand, thumb trailing on a delicate cheekbone.

/Come on, Riku, please come back,/ he thought, normally bright aqua eyes sad and pleading.

Riku's lips moved again, mouthing something breathlessly. Both his hands twitched as he blinked and expectedly fell quiescent soon afterwards. Sephiroth bent down and kissed the corner of the boy's mouth before thumping his forehead down onto Riku's chest, defeated.

"Please, don't make me sit idly by again," he murmured, voice strained and tired. "I cannot bear being weak, but that's all I am when I'm around you," Sephiroth whispered, trembling. He took in a ragged sigh and let it out, bringing his head up to place another kiss on Riku's lips before once again putting his forehead to the boy's chest.

Suddenly, Riku's head jerked to the side and rolled back.

__

/--What the fuck's **happening** with him…?--/

Sephiroth brought his head up then brought it down, thumping on Riku's chest repeatedly. He felt tears for the teenager rise once more but bit them back, unwilling to cry again for his own weakness.

/Riku, please wake UP!/

"_DON'T_!" Riku barked, entire body tensing, eyes opened impossibly wide and frightened. The silver-haired man's head snapped upwards as he sat the teenager in his lap, hand gripping the smaller one's delicate chin. "**_NO_**, SORA!"

"Riku!" Sephiroth shouted, shaking him. The teen's eyes darted back and forth rapidly, face contorted in a pained grimace, Riku's breaths coming in quick, shortened gasps. He spoke up again when the teen ignored him.

"Riku, answer me!"

Tears slid from Riku's eyes, his fists clenched tightly as he spoke. "No, no, gods Sora, why… don't… no, _NO_…"

Sephiroth shook the boy again. Receiving no response, he delivered a sharp slap to the deathly pale face, the sound crisp, leaving no echo on the hollow walls. "_RIKU_."

A thick tension filled the air, nearly visible as the place quaked suddenly. Sephiroth again pulled the boy to his body, head thrashing violently around the room, eyes narrowed to threatening slits. If it was Ansem coming to get Riku, Sephiroth vowed to himself that he _would_ kill him, slow and brutally as the man deserved.

__

/--What's going on NOW?!--/

"So, you've awakened at last, Princess," Ansem's voice boomed, echoing through their surroundings, practically seeping through the wooden walls and floors. Again the room shook, more violently than before, sending a sprinkle of dust and splinters down on the two with silver hair.

__

/--GodDAMN him!!--/ Zack snarled angrily.

"What is he doing?!" Sephiroth growled, a vice-like grip on the boy in his arms. He couldn't see the vile amber-eyed man but could feel him, that disturbing presence permeating everything around him. Sephiroth took a breath, eyes trained at the doorway.

__

/--He's almost—--/

"The Keyhole is now complete," Ansem spoke up again. _"You have served your purpose…"_

__

/--THAT!--/

"SORA!!!" Riku screamed, thrashing wildly in the older man's arms. Sephiroth was nearly punched and kicked countless times at the boy's outburst, but somehow avoided blow after blow in such close contact. A loud cracking noise rumbled from the distance, jolting Sephiroth's entire being forward and nearly dropping Riku as a consequence.

__

/--Seph, let's get the FUCK OUT OF HERE!!--/

The silver-haired ex-General shot up, Riku in his arms. He went for the torch but thought better of it - he couldn't possibly hold the teen and the torch at the same time, especially if there was danger up ahead. Instead he snatched up the Masamune, leaving the room and dashing blindly down the long, dark hallway. Visibility was terribly poor for Sephiroth, even with his Mako-enhanced vision.

__

"…but now it's over."

Wherever they were started to deteriorate, breaking apart as the shaking occurred again, harsh and constant, a rain of planks and dirt fell upon them. Sephiroth tripped on a board that jutted out from the floor and lost his footing, dropping Riku and falling to the ground himself, both of them landing with hard thumps.

Riku was in the middle of another thrashing episode, screaming primitively, Sora's name passing from his lips nearly every other word. Sephiroth grunted and got to his feet, scooping Riku up and ignoring the blows he received for doing so - they weren't that bad to begin with, but they were starting…

He ran as fast as he could, the teen screaming in his ear loud enough to pierce his eardrums, until finally Sephiroth broke out of the wooden hallway, nearly slamming into the wall as he skidded across moss-covered stone. He spun gracefully and shot his foot behind him, effectively stopping them before they hit the hard wall.

Once his footing recovered, he dashed once again down that seemingly endless stone hallway, his wing flapping to accelerate his speed, the tips of his shoes the only part of his feet touching the ground.

He ran for what seemed like hours - though, in reality, mere seconds passed - and he stopped short as he came to the end of the long hall. The path he was following simply dropped off, beyond it nothing but a thick black void of writhing Darkness.

Sephiroth's jaw went slack, eyes wide as he stared.

"Oh, shit," Zack said through Sephiroth's mouth; but for once, the ex-General agreed with the sentiment.

Riku broke out of the older man's arms and fell to the floor, weakly struggling to pull himself to his hands and knees. Sephiroth dropped next to him, wrapping his arms protectively around the boy from behind, sitting them both on the floor, Riku in his lap.

"_NO_!!!" Riku shrieked, now completely awake. The mass of Darkness swirled angrily at the shout, purples flashing briefly a blinding white. "**_NO_**!!!"

The void pulsated vehemently, thick black cords shooting out from it, whipping in their direction in a vain attack. Sephiroth snarled at it, grip around Riku tightening as the teenager's shrieking grew impossibly louder.

"STAY BACK!!" the man ordered, causing the Darkness to cringe momentarily. "_YOU WILL **NOT **TAKE THIS BOY **AGAIN**_!!"

__

/--YEAH, YOU ROTTEN FUCKS!--/ Zack chided. His anger was so intense that the Darkness briefly took on his form, strong and proud against the black mass. Mentally, he raised an eyebrow.

/--…that was pretty cool.--/

"_KAIRI_!!!CAN YOU **_HEAR_** ME?!" the boy yelled, desperately.

The vortex whirled dangerously, emitting an audible shriek, bubbling and swirling. Riku tried to lash out at it but Sephiroth held him back, pinning one smaller arm behind his back with a grunt. The younger one kicked and screamed in protest and frustration, and once again the Darkness flashed white where its purples stood. Again the mass shrieked, whip-like cords retracting into the Darkness, and to Sephiroth it actually seemed… afraid…

__

"Impossible!" Ansem's voice exclaimed as white balls burst from within the mass, burning sizzling holes through it, leaving behind the same stench that had covered Riku.

"NO!!" Riku shrieked, "YOU _WON'T USE ME FOR THIS_!!"

Sephiroth stared at the boy who obviously saw something completely different than he was witnessing, disconcerting as it was. And still the teenager struggled still against him, grunting and screaming. Tears slid down Riku's face, falling from his chin and staining his dirtied yellow shirt.

__

"…Riku!…," a delicate voice called from the Darkness. It was barely audible but Sephiroth easily heard it, the sound sending a shiver down his spine. Riku shook his head violently, arms motioning in a hurried dismissive gesture.

"You've got to run!!" he shouted, leaning towards the Darkness, Sephiroth's arms slipping down around Riku's waist. "THE HEARTLESS ARE COMING!!!"

Then Sephiroth saw it. Dozens upon dozens of yellow-eyed creatures of all shapes and forms burst out from the vortex at an astonishing rate, snarling angrily at them before their bodies twisted, disappearing to their intended location.

Several breeds Sephiroth hadn't seen before popped out. Bodies, purple and winged, demon-like Heartless with evil-looking swords roared as they appeared, large Behemoths pounding up and out of the Darkness… winged hourglass-shaped Heartless flew up, leaving behind them lilac-colored tornadoes before teleporting away…

Riku looked as if he was trying to summon something into his hand as he shook his head, apparently fighting a battle with an enemy Sephiroth couldn't see or feel.

"Gods… oh, gods… where's Sora?!" the boy cried, falling back into the older man's chest. "Oh, gods… Sora…" Riku turned and threw his arms around Sephiroth's neck, face resting in the elegant crook, and whimpered pathetically, "gods, I can't feel Sora…"

Sephiroth let out a deep sigh and shook his head, rubbing the boy's back. "Whatever's happening, we need to leave," he stated, bringing them both to their feet. "It isn't safe here."

"I'm not leaving without Sora!" Riku shouted, eyes bloodshot and puffy. The ex-General noticed that even with all the hell the boy went through, the teenager still managed to stay true to his love, and his need to protect… something Sephiroth himself hadn't been strong enough to do.

Without warning, Riku's head snapped towards the pool of Darkness. White threads had woven their way through it, undoubtedly crippling it. Sephiroth noted that large holes had broken through its depths, the Darkness' appearance now more sponge-like than the liquid of before.

Riku shook his head in disbelief, bright aqua eyes wide in dismay.

"Oh, fuck…"

"What is it?" Sephiroth asked forcefully, a hand gripping Riku's arm.

"He's in there, FUCK… he's _IN_ there!!" the silver-haired boy screamed, hands balled into fists. He jerked at his arm, pursing his lips as he looked at Sephiroth's hand with disdain. "I have to go!"

Sephiroth glared at him, eyes narrowed to slits. "_What_?!" he hissed, holding the teenager hard enough to bruise.

"I can't leave him, Seph! I _can't_… I have to help _Sora_!" Riku replied, face softening and threatening tears. He shook his head and bit his lip, tearing his eyes away from Sephiroth. "You have to leave." His tone was blunt and no-nonsense, confidence at what he must do lacing through it.

Sephiroth once more pulled Riku back towards him as the boy started to walk away. "The _hell_ I'm going without you," he snarled, "I am _not_ leaving you with _Ansem_ again, and I will most definitely **_not_** allowyouto plunge yourself into _that_…"

"I have to!" Riku protested, grabbing Sephiroth's wrist in attempts to pry the man's much stronger hand off his own. "Let me go! I owe this to him!!"

"Then I'm going with you," the older man hissed through gritted teeth, face blazing angrily at Riku's defiance. The boy shook his head, hair whipping his face, and continued to tug at his arm.

"No. I have to do this on my own…" Riku swallowed and shook his head, the hand trying to loosen Sephiroth's grip falling away in defeat. "Please, Seph… please let me help him…"

Sephiroth scowled, eyes blazing angrily. "I already told you: you are _not_ going, and that is _final_."

Without warning, Riku stepped forward and pressed himself against Sephiroth, grabbing a fistful of hair and pulling him down, kissing him hard on the lips. The ex-General's eyes went wide with shock as Riku slipped his tongue slip out to lap at his lips, causing Sephiroth to gasp. The boy took that chance to enter the man's mouth, a hand creeping up to stroke his wing, making the older man shudder.

__

/--What is he…?--/

Sephiroth's hand left Riku's wrist as he instinctively went to put his arm around that slender waist, needing to get him closer to his body. Anticipating this reaction, Riku put his plan into motion and broke away soon as the hand left his wrist, and quickly hopped back to conjure up the red and black demon-winged blade of before.

The teenager easily donned a fighting stance, one arm bent behind him and the other outstretched.

"I'm sorry for that, Seph," he said, the tip aimed at the older man's throat, "but you just don't get it… I _have_ to do this." He licked his lower lip, shaking his head regretfully. "And I _will_ hurt you if you try and grab me again…"

The older man stood breathless, clearly shocked at the turn of events. "Riku," he started, taking a step forward.

"No. You _have _to leave." The boy's face was cold, and dead serious. "Go find him, Seph… he's been waiting a long time to see you again." Riku's arm stayed outstretched as the man came closer, its deadly point threatening to pierce Sephiroth's flesh. "Summon a portal. _He_ can help you find your way to Traverse Town," Riku said, gesturing towards the silver-haired man's head.

Zack sputtered. _/--…ME?! How the **hell** does he know about **me**?!--/_

"Riku… I…" The man started to reach out but stopped as the boy threatened to slash him, eyes hardened.

"Stop. _Don't_. Let me **_do_** this, Seph…" Riku's face was stoic, the same face the man himself wore in the days he served as the General, leading his troops into battlefields… and quite possibly to their deaths. "My Light needs me. And so does _yours_."

Sephiroth's aqua eyes softened, glossing over. He shook his head, mouth agape. He furrowed his eyebrows, gesturing with his hands as he spoke. "Riku, please, I _can't_ let you—"

"Don't you remember _Cloud_, Seph? Cloud _Strife_?"

The man's eyes blazed in frustration. "Of _course_ I do, Ri—"

"Then don't worry about _me. _He needs you more than I do." Not once did Riku's stance falter. He looked far older than his years at that moment, fiercely determined not to let anything stand in his way - Sephiroth was well aware that fighting him was a lost cause. After all, the boy and he were too much alike; stubborn to the bitter end.

Sephiroth let out an exasperated sigh and backed off, arm flicking out and summoning a portal. To his surprise, Riku was right - he _was_ able to conjure one up again, in that place.

"You intend to do this, then?" the silver-haired man asked, turning away from Riku.

"I do."

"And it's futile for me to attempt to convince you otherwise?"

Riku nodded. "Yeah."

Sephiroth nodded slightly and straightened himself, arms clenched by his sides. He checked briefly to see if everything was in order before he left Riku behind, seeing him quite possibly for the last time.

"So be it."

Sephiroth took a brief look behind him at the boy, still standing with his arm outstretched. He was beautiful in his stance, though bruised and broken, clothes dirtied with filth and gore. Riku was nearly pure-white, his hair dull, limply hanging in his bright aqua eyes. But he glowed with an inner light which burned with love and strength, the will to accomplish what he wanted, the need to save the one that he loved.

Sephiroth sighed, setting his jaw. He cared more about the boy in the short time they had spent together than he had cared about most others he'd known and worked with for _years_, with the exception of only Cloud and Zack…

Biting back a growl, Sephiroth spun on his heel, afraid the boy would see his eyes glassing over with more of those damnable tears. "Goodbye, then, Riku," he stated, voice wavering just slightly. "Safe journey," he added as an afterthought, clenching his fists.

"See you, Seph… good luck." Sephiroth nodded shortly.

"You understand I'd rather you not do this," he said, the boy staring at the back of his head.

"I know."

The silver-haired man bit his lip before he stepped through the portal, finished with those worthless goodbyes.

With Sephiroth gone, Riku turned and walked straight down the hall, determined. Tossing the red and black blade aside with a clang, he flicked his wrist and conjured up the dark Keyblade left behind by Ansem. Fearlessly he treaded into the Darkness, head held high and set in determination, one hand holding his own lethal-looking Keyblade, and a large, bluish-black feather clutched in his other.

__

------------------

A tangle of crimson, gold, green, black and blue writhed on the cobblestone and plank Gummi dock in Traverse Town, half of it screaming, the other half laughing. Legs and arms flew in the air as a diminutive blonde engaged in a vain struggle to throw an even smaller offender off his back.

Leon's eyebrow arched as he watched the spectacle with his arms crossed, standing in the doorway of the Tiny Bronco. His grey-blue eyes cast a sidelong glance at the gruff, foul-mouthed pilot to his left, the man laying kiss after kiss on the side of his precious pink Gummi, arms spread wide in attempts to hug it. The brunette dropped his head back and sighed. Aerith wasn't around, so he was surrounded by…

…the insane ones.

"Get _off_ me!!"

"NO!" Yuffie shrieked, giggling like a three-year old.

Cloud screamed angrily. Yuffie had wrapped herself around his waist in an impossible position, somehow locking her legs and her arms together, refusing to let go of him. The teenage ninja had tackled him as soon as his foot stepped outside the ship's portal in an overly-excited greeting which had sent the both of them to the ground.

"Is my baby safe? My baby's back home, I love ya so much…," Cid cooed dreamily.

Leon drew his eyebrows together, a little disturbed as he watched the pilot talking to his ship.

"Goddammit, Yuffie, get _off_!!" Cloud growled, clawed hand dangerously close to poking the girl's eye out. For someone so small, the ninja was very strong, and her small stature only aided her speed and agility. And, Leon suspected her lack of clothing also helped that aspect…

"Can I get _down_?" the scarred man asked with a sigh, foot tapping impatiently. His request went ignored. Giving an aggravated grunt, Leon jumped gracefully from the Bronco and landed almost a yard away from the two younger people on the ground.

"Yuffie, _please_," Leon growled, glaring at her.

The ninja girl quickly stopped shrieking. Her head poked up and over Cloud's side, the man now on his hands and knees, very much trying to get to his feet. "Oh, hiya, Squall! GACK!" she yelped as Cloud kneed her swiftly in the ribs, finally managing to tear her tiny yet viselike arms away.

Cloud toppled backwards and fell hard onto his ass, legs splayed comically.

"…ow."

Leon rolled his eyes as Yuffie bounced up, trotting behind the brunette before she swung her arms around _his_ neck this time, latching her legs around his hips, the force of her bear-hug attack nearly pitching him forward.

"So how'd the tournament go?" she chirped at the blonde from behind her partner. Leon made a face and tilted his head to get his ear away from the girl's high-pitched voice.

Cloud glared at her. "I lost, and _never do that **again**_." The sullen blonde got up and angrily brushed himself off.

"Thanks fer not fuckin' her up," Cid said towards Cloud, resting a stubbly cheek on the side of the Tiny Bronco.

"You didn't have to worry anyway, Leon's a great pilot," Cloud murmured, an eye threatening to wink at the grumpy brunette.

"Shit yeah he is, trained by the best."

The blonde warrior looked around, arms crossed. "…where's Aerith?"

"She's doin' some stuff," Yuffie answered, attempting to nuzzle the neck of a thoroughly confused Leon. Cloud raised an eyebrow at the older man, receiving a shrug in response. "I'm glad you're back," she purred in the ex-SeeD's ear.

Cloud blinked.

"Give it a rest, fuckin' _thief_," the pilot grunted, lighting a cigarette. "I gotta get outta here, that goddamn woman's been drivin' me nuts all day, with y'all gone." Cid turned to address the Tiny Bronco. "Bye-bye, baby."

And with that the gruff pilot left, making his way to his Garage, pulling a fresh cigarette from the pack tucked underneath his goggles.

Cloud sighed and grabbed the ninja, pulling her off their friend's back. "What's _with_ you today?"

Yuffie bounced, giving the two men staring at her a wide smile. "I'm happy!"

"…why?" Leon asked as he took a few steps back and away from the hug-happy teenager, arms crossing once more.

The girl merely gave him an obvious wink before blowing a kiss.

A single blonde eyebrow raised critically, and Yuffie frowned. "What?"

Cloud shook his head, spikes in his face brushing over his deep blue eyes. "Nothing." A palm rested against his forehead as a sudden wave of dizziness rushed through him, head reeling. "…dammit."

"The concussion?" The mercenary nodded.

Yuffie's eyes went wide. "Omigods, I'm sorry Spike! I didn't know you were _hurt_ and **_stuff_**!" she said quickly, a guilty expression on her face. She hooked the blonde's arm in her own as she ushered the two men away from the boarding dock, making her way quickly through the bustling activity of the brightly-lit First District, taking the steps in front of the Accessory Shop nearly three at a time.

"I'll be fine if you just stop for one damn _minute_," Cloud grunted, face pained as the girl dragged him behind her, his feet threatening to tangle themselves with each hurried pace. Leon reached out and took him by his free wrist, stopping the other two parties, both of them flopping backwards into each other in a slightly comical manner.

"Hey!"

"I can handle it, Yuffie."

The girl pouted, yanking Cloud's arm again. "So can I!" she replied, tone very close to that of a stubborn child's.

"Really. And _whose _house are you bringing him to?" Leon asked, eyebrow raised, cocking his head to the side. "Mine. Just let _me_ take care of this." Yuffie's pout deepened as she stomped her orange-booted foot on the cobblestone road, huffing.

"Why are you bein' so freakin' _jerky_?"

The brunette let out a sigh, gesturing towards Cloud, the blonde's face unusually pale, sweat beading up on his brow. The only color he had on his face were two bright spots of a fevered pink on his delicate cheeks. Still not recovered fully from the concussion - which Yuffie's playful assault had only aggravated - Cloud, frankly, looked like hell.

"Do you think he looks like he should be _dragged_ through Town in his condition?"

Yuffie huffed again, letting the gloved arm go. It fell limply to Cloud's side, hand thumping against his hip armor with a dull clank. "_Fine_. If I knew you were gonna be such a… a… a **_curmudgeon_**, I wouldn't have come out to greet you guys in the _first_ place!"

Looking at the girl through heavy, half-lidded eyes, Cloud asked in disbelief, "…a _curmudgeon_?"

"Oh, what_ever_!" the ninja girl grumbled, sticking her tongue out at Cloud and Leon. "You guys suck… fine, I'm just gonna _leave_."

She turned on a heel and stormed off, muttering obscenities sullenly while shaking a fist, free hand absently reaching for the Conformer strapped to her back.

Leon led Cloud over to a nearby bench where two old, grey-haired inhabitants of Traverse Town were shuffling away cautiously, intimidated by the sight of the stone-faced man in leather and the pale, glowing-eyed blonde.

Thankful for the respite, Cloud sat down graciously, setting his head between his knees to fight off a wave of nausea.

"Don't get worked up anymore," the brunette said calmly, standing in front of the spiky-haired warrior. "You're not healed yet."

"No shit," Cloud muttered, sucking in a breath of air. "That wasn't _my_ fault _anyway_."

The ex-SeeD watched the blonde as he sat on the bench, plagued by dizziness. Cloud didn't look good at all; his skin too ashen, contrasting rather grossly with his dark crimson mantle, his hands shaking a bit from his previous exertion.

After a while, Leon patted Cloud on his unarmored shoulder, making him look up. "Come on, you need to rest."

With a sigh, shaky legs lifted Cloud from his perch. "Since when did _you_ get all motherly?" he asked, voice a bit ruder than he meant it to be. Leon frowned.

"I'm allowed to be compassionate."

Cloud mumbled an apology as the older man took his arm and draped it across his own leather-clad shoulders, allowing the blonde to lean on him for support. The two walked slowly through First District, stopping every once in a while when Cloud got dizzy. The two misfits received odd stares as they walked through, arms over each other's shoulders, Traverse inhabitants no doubt getting the wrong idea about helpful Mr. Leonhart and the pretty blonde man he'd been living with for a while.

After finally getting back to the home they now shared, Leon carefully placed the small blonde into his bed, removing all unnecessary accessories before covering him with a thick blanket. "Stay there for however long you need," he said to the drowsy blonde. "And don't get up when I'm not here."

Cloud nodded, eyes drifting closed.

"I'm going to get our things from the Gummi ship," Leon stated, "I'll be back in a little while."

"…okay." Cloud shifted, burying himself down into the soft, warm bed that smelled just like Leon. He heard the older man retreat to the doorway, leather shifting against cloth as he turned back, watching the blonde in his bed.

__

[…is he… **staring** at me?]

He could feel Leon's penetrating gaze on him and squirmed uncomfortably, wondering exactly what thoughts were running through the other man's head. He kept his eyes closed but couldn't fall asleep with the gorgeous, scarred warrior's eyes on him.

Leon stood a few more minutes, appraising Cloud. With a soft sigh he shook his head and left the room, heels clacking against the floor of his kitchen and out of the small house.

The blonde rolled onto his stomach, burying his face in the other man's pillow and breathed in deeply. _[…dammit, Leon, why do you send me these weird signals?]_ Cloud rubbed his face on the soft pillowcase, smiling in contentment, then snickered._ [Haven't been in another guy's bed in a while…]_

He cracked an eye open, examining the room absently before closing it again. Cloud fell asleep within minutes, comfortable and warm in the gracious brunette's bed.

During his slumber, Cloud dreamt again, this time of the years he spent as ShinRa trooper, as well as a prospective SOLDIER candidate. He saw the barracks where he lived and the exact bunk he slept in, set against a far wall; and laying there on the top was the younger version of himself curled up on it. Cloud was reminded of the roommates he was supposed to become friends with - or at least cooperate with… but instead of being even halfway decent to him, all they did was make fun of him; his size, his girlish appearance, his hair…

Everywhere Cloud lived, he was mocked unjustly. He hadn't bothered anyone when he was younger, merely minded his own business, spoke only when spoken to, never went out of turn. He followed all the rules and obeyed what was asked of him, understood boundaries and reason. Cloud was exceptionally smart with his studies in school, though most never knew it, since he was always too shy to answer problems during classes unless called upon, and even then they were shakily done.

The dream flashed forward. Physical training during his time as a recruit was excruciatingly demanding for him. He watched his instructor chiding his former self, small and weak, singling him out because he couldn't complete set upon set of pushups like the other, stronger boys. Though his upper-body strength wasn't the best, he more than made up for it in agility and cat-like speed, even comparable to that of Sephiroth's.

But none of that mattered. In his dream he saw himself walking down crowded hallways of the SOLDIER building, head hung low, tears stinging at his eyes. Even during those simple walks he was bullied, pushed or picked on, but never said a word or tried to defend himself. The day in the dream was the same one he was first turned down for SOLDIER, as well as the day he met Zack.

Cloud decided to stay in the program for three reasons. The first was simple - he made a promise to himself. He couldn't return home until he was a SOLDIER First Class, to be stronger, to protect Tifa. The second was because of Zack. The black-haired man who befriended him offered to help him become better, help him train. And, well… Zack was friends with the third reason Cloud couldn't leave SOLDIER.

He'd fallen in love with Sephiroth.

He again saw himself in his bunk, mentally berating himself for loving that unattainable silver-haired god, the great General. He never even met the man, never even spoke to him, but he just had that feeling he knew wasn't simple hero-worship like so many others had. He knew it was stupid, but it was love, even though the only times he'd actually seen him in person were during random assemblies, delivering speeches, or catching a glimpse of the long coat and hair flowing behind him as he made his way down hallways, never in his direction.

The dream flashed to a new scene, after a particularly heavy sparring match with Zack. The blonde had had immediately hit it off with the man since he bumped into the him in the hallway, he figured roughly a month prior. Zack was exuberant, with a perpetual smile on his face, but had the ability to turn serious and business-like at the drop of a hat. As Cloud laid on the gym mats, defeated, Zack let the blonde in on his plans of meeting the General later that night for drinks, and invited him along.

Cloud watched his dream-self's eyes widen in horror, face burning a red so fierce it was nearly purple. Zack laughed, throwing his head back, tone smooth and unrestrained as well as pleasantly masculine. And when he finally settled, he told the boy that Sephiroth - or Seph, as Zack always referred to him - was looking forward to meeting the shy blonde he had taken under his wing.

The teenager's eyes welled up with tears of joy and embarrassment as he shook his head vehemently, telling his friend he could _never_ go, since he would only make a fool of himself… even though he desperately wanted to, just to meet the man he loved.

Of course, he left out the latter part. But Zack knew.

Reluctantly, the blonde agreed when his dark-haired friend tackled him and pinned him to the floor, absolutely refusing to let him up until he did. Cloud smiled lightly as he watched the vision of his old friend, full of sadness and regret. He regretted that he lived on the way to Midgar, and Zack hadn't…

Zack always was the stronger one, the friendlier one, the all-around better one. He was everything Cloud had wanted to be, and more. The SOLDIER was respected and had respect, never looked down on anyone unless they truly deserved it. He would stand up for his friends and strangers alike; it was his nature. The black-haired man was always willing to put his life on the line for others, to protect the weak, aide the strong.

His never-ending cheer and good-will was unmatched by anyone else Cloud knew, surpassing even Aerith herself. She never really knew _Zack_, Cloud realized that much… but his friend was devoted to her, and Cloud knew he loved her, but his involvement with ShinRa was too much for her. Aerith was the last living Cetra, a constant target for Professor Hojo, and, as Zack had relayed to Cloud, if Hojo knew of her and the SOLDIER's relationship…

The blonde loved Zack, and Zack loved Cloud. The two were like brothers, and the years in the lab they had become almost unbearably close, nearly developing a psychic bond. And then, after five long years, Zack again put himself at risk, because he had to get Cloud out of there, the experiments and testing too gruesome and brutal for the younger man to take any longer.

His dream flashed forward to that time, Cloud's lifeless body heavy against Zack's side as he dragged them up and out of the basement of ShinRa Mansion, out of Nibelheim, hitchhiking on trucks from gracious drivers, stowing away on a boat from Costa del Sol to sail across the ocean.

And they nearly made it. There was only a short way to go, they saw - or rather, Zack saw - the dark and dreary area of Midgar from the top of the cliff. And then…

"…Cloud?"

The blonde gasped and shot up, the soft hand on his shoulder shocking him out of his sleep. A calloused thumb dragged over a wet cheekbone, drying away the flowing tears. Cloud's bottom lip quivered as he broke down, burying his face in the other man's broad chest, sobbing.

"Why are you crying?" Leon asked softly, one leather-gloved hand rubbing circles on his back soothingly, the other on his own knee. The blonde warrior simply shook his head and cried, dampening the older man's pure white t-shirt. Leon frowned, resting his head on soft golden spikes.

"…it's too hard…," Cloud choked out, grabbing a fistful of Leon's leather coat. "…I can't forget… I can't… he died, and it's all my fault, Leon…"

The older man's frown deepened. "Stop… don't think that way." Cloud sniffled, taking in a ragged breath before a fresh wave of sobs shook his body. Leon bit his lip, debating on pulling the younger man into his arms and holding him close or to just sit and watch. "I don't know what happened to you, but…," he shook his head, his inner voice screaming 'hypocrite!' at him. "…stop beating yourself up."

"…I killed them both…," Cloud whispered between tear-choked sobs. "…but he's alive… but _he's_… not… I won't see _him_ **_ever_** again…"

"Cloud…" Leon went ignored.

"…why couldn't it have been _me_… it _should_ have been me, I was the one who _deserved_ it… he… he was…"

"That isn't true…"

The small warrior was wallowing in anguish too deep to be pulled out of for the time, and the brunette sighed, deciding to just let Cloud let it all out, no matter how self-loathing the things he said. So instead of stopping him, Leon continued to rub Cloud's back gently before placing a tentative kiss on top of the other man's head.

----------------------

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A/N: Chapter revised 7/11/04, 500 words…

Aww, kissy-kissy lovey-dovey ANGST!! Muahaha. Excellent. Pointless Seph/Riku too, eh? EH? No, Seph's not the type to give up easily without Riku having to do something drastic. And sexy. Besides, Seph/Riku is grossly hot, despite their obvious similarities… and big age difference… and the fact that it would probably never ever happen in the game's storyline but like I really care about **that**, I have a silver-hair fetish, shut up.


	12. Part Eleven

**__**

WARNING: This chapter contains lime-flavored YAOI (obviously). Skip Cloud's half if you don't want to read it. Mmyep.

****

Part Eleven

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-You're falling back to me,  
The star that I can see, yeah,  
I know you're out there,  
Somewhere out there.-  
-"Somewhere Out There", Our Lady Peace  
------------------

Sephiroth had contemplated turning back as soon as he passed into the portal. The familiar Darkness had surrounded him as it had the first time, only now it wasn't malicious, barely undulating like it did. It seemed dead, or weakening, and the silver-haired man took the fact as a good thing, but that didn't change his current predicament.

He still didn't see a way to get out.

"You are _terrible_ luck, **_Zackary_**," he muttered, walking around in the vortex. He made a face as the Darkness oozed beneath his feet, sticky strands of black clinging on the soles of his boots with every step. It was like walking through someone's old chewing gum spat carelessly into the courtyard at the SOLDIER training camps, and Sephiroth hated it.

"The Darkness hadn't done this before. Only since I came into contact with _you_."

__

/--Man, bitch, bitch, bitch, that's all you ever **do**.--/

"Hmph." More sticky steps were taken, seemingly to nowhere. Everything looked the same around him, and the air stank of rot and metal. Sephiroth made a face as the stench wafted in his direction again, waving his hand in front of his nose. "Nothing's been in my favor since you."

__

/--…just shut up and take it.--/

"Wonderful comeback." Sephiroth flicked glittering silver hair over his shoulder, frowning. "Riku mentioned you'd help me find Cloud's location. Can you?"

Zack laughed nervously. _/--I don't even know what he meant by that… heh…--/_

Bright aqua eyes rolled. _/I can't believe I'm asking you this…/_ "Do you have any _ideas_, then?"

__

/--…a portal?--/

Sephiroth slapped his forehead, throwing his head back. Well now, _he_ felt absolutely stupid…

"Why hadn't _I_ thought of that?" With a flick and a twist of the hand, the ex-General effortlessly tore a hole into the void. Through the haze of black, he saw the image on the other side of lush, green grass and the long twisted trunks of trees.

__

/--You must be slipping in your old age.--/ Zack paused, letting out a snort. _/--With all due respect.--/_

"No, housing you in my psyche is dulling my wits," Sephiroth muttered grumpily, ducking his head and easily walking through the portal.

__

/--Ha, ha. **SIR**.--/

The tangy scent of earth and vegetation filled his senses as Sephiroth's eyes darted about the foreign area. Chittering creatures called from high in the treetops, bugs letting out loud screeching noises from all around. The sun barely passed through the dense canopy of trees, the leaves too thick, leaving the jungle's floor dark and dreary, nothing but green. Sickly-looking vines were strung from branch to branch, wildlife perched or running over them, the more curious beasts casting Sephiroth wary glances.

Sephiroth crossed his arms, keen eyes surveying the area for signs of life other than animals. "This… does _not_ look like a town," he growled out, irately.

__

/--Well, I can't figure out **how** our plan went wrong,--/ Zack muttered, sarcasm oozing from every word, /--_you know, since we're both **completely** knowledgeable in the whole portal transportation thing and all.--/_

Sephiroth grunted and called up another portal, knowing to search in the area would be useless.

Again he went in, immediately tearing another rip as he stepped into the hole. The opening from his second try showed water, and lots of it. Fish swam gaily past his vision, bubbles floating up through the deep blue.

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/--…do I even have to say anything?--/

"No."

The silver-haired man mended the rip and pivoted, facing a different area of the Darkness. Boredly he called another, granting him a scene of a quite angry-looking woman wearing red, black and white. She was surrounded by guards, two flanking either side of the large desk she was perched behind. Sephiroth's eyebrow raised as one of the guards turned, his width equal to that of a flat edge of the Masamune.

__

/--…what the hell's **wrong** with these places?!--/ Zack paused._ /--…is that a fuckin' **bunny**?!--/_

Indeed, a white rabbit wearing glasses and a vest sat upon a podium, twitching nervously, eyes completely red and bloodshot.

"An albino, at that," Sephiroth murmured.

__

/--He looks **high** to me.--/

The ex-General grunted an obscenity, turning away from yet another faulty portal. He walked a fair distance from the area he started off before glaring back at it. Closing his eyes, Sephiroth let out an exaggerated sigh, hastily repeating the tearing action.

"Zack, _please_ tell me what you see out there."

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/--Um… it looks all spooky…?--/

Sephiroth grunted, hands reaching up to massage his temples. "…would you **_please_**… _elaborate_," he asked, words clipped and unamused. His frustration level was nearing maximum, thinking of Riku and his stubbornness, as well as Zack's apparent uselessness… though really, it was more Riku. Guilt punctured the man's mind as he cursed himself for the umpteenth time over letting the teen send him off so easily.

__

/--Fine. It's spooky, like I said.--/ The silver-haired man growled, and Zack sighed. _/--I wasn't **finished**. It's dark, it's dirty, there's weird things all around. I see a cemetery, some houses, blah, blah. Satisfied?--/_

"Do you believe exploring would be of any use?"

__

/--Um… maybe? Looks more promising than that jungle or the bunny-place…--/

Sephiroth's eyes opened as he walked through the hole, feet hitting hard, sand-covered stone. Fog crept up to his knees, thick and a dull grey. The sky of the area was pitch-black, with the exception of an unusually large, yellow moon in it, standing behind an odd, spiraled structure.

The man walked forward, senses on high alert. The place had a different aura around it… not a terrible one, but it was generally unpleasant. He pushed open a tall and twisted wrought-iron gate, hinges squeaking angrily in protest.

Creatures milled around the eerie street of the peculiar place, their forms resembling ghosts and other such ghouls, skin dull greys and blues, altogether unhealthy, abnormal shades, sickly hues rivaling even that of Maleficent's. Odd, spindly buildings loomed around the area set up behind gates or high stone walls, sending off a sense of unease. One particular building was rounded and dome-like, catching Sephiroth's eye.

__

/--…a pumpkin. Now **that** is scary.--/ The silver-haired man somewhat agreed, the 'teeth' of the jack-o-lantern sharp-looking and dangerous, twisted into a sickening grin.

/--Hey Seph, you know what else is scary?--/

Sephiroth sighed, stepping through the streets of the strange town, passing by a large fountain spewing something that surprisingly resembled dying Lifestream. _/What, Zackary?/_

/--Your clothes.--/

/My…?/ The ex-General looked down and blinked.

His former clothes had been replaced by a deep crimson suit made entirely of velvet. It was very fancy and old-fashioned, lacy black ruffles protruding from the longish sleeves and brushing out over his knuckles. More of the ruffles spilled from over the suit's high collar and down the opened buttons of his chest, contrasting rather beautifully against his near-white skin. Its jacket had fine tailoring, perfectly cinched at the waist, comfortably resting over his broad shoulders, fixed with large onyx and silver buttons. It was very…

__

/--…you like the suit, don't you,.--/ Zack half-asked, dryly.

__

/It is exquisite,/ Sephiroth answered, looking down the side of his leg at the slight flare of the pants, silver and black stitching creeping up the sides. He frowned when he saw the shoes he wore; they were too pointy for his tastes, but the heel was tall, bringing his full height to well over his natural six-foot-one.

/Gorgeous rings as well./ he noted, studying the large silver, ruby and onyx jewelry adorning his pale hands.

__

/--Your nails are all girly,--/ his friend commented at the shining, vampiric-looking lengths protruding from his fingertips. The silver-haired man let out a rich laugh as his tongue ran across white teeth, finding two elongated, pearly-white fangs where his incisors should have been.

__

/I'm a vampire. Interesting./

Sephiroth's mood lightened as he made his way through the town, blending in perfectly with the inhabitant ghouls. He wasn't sure where he was going, simply passing the time away in the foreign place, taking in its unusual sights as he searched for that familiar someone.

Unexpectedly, a slight tap hit him on the shoulder and the silver-haired man turned, looking down at a round-ish man with an overly tall hat, clothed in a black suit.

"…may I help you?" Sephiroth asked, perplexed.

"I just noticed that you were new to Halloween Town!" the man said, voice jubilant and loud. He wore a rather strange grin, showing nearly all of the teeth he had, cheeks pulled up and lips curled in a spiral at the corners. One eye was also a spiral in black and yellow, the other a simple black orb, and Sephiroth noticed that the man wore a… _spider_ in place of a tie.

"…I am…"

"Welcome to our humble town!" he said. Lifting a silver megaphone to his lips, he shouted, "one day left 'til Halloween!!"

A naked white hand lifted to cover his ear and Sephiroth cringed, the shrill, garishly loud voice ringing in his ear. The Mayor - or so the ribbon on his lapel declared - was quickly wearing out his welcome…

Still, Sephiroth had things he needed to know, and asking this Mayor would seem the best idea, for now. "I'm looking for someone. Perhaps you would be the wisest to ask for assistance?"

The Mayor's eyebrows lifted considerably. "Maybe!" came the response, far too happy and eager. Sephiroth frowned in distaste.

"I see. A man with spiked hair, blonde. His eyes are a deep, glowing blue, and his face…"

The silver-haired man paused to rack his brain, trying to remember Cloud's appearance from one year ago. Actually helping this time, Zack produced a mental picture of the small warrior, and gave a mental grin as a grateful 'thank you' shot back at him. "He looks quite young, though he… feels much older." Sephiroth smiled disarmingly as he asked, "perhaps you've met?"

The Mayor shook his pointed head, his tall hat nearly hitting Sephiroth in the face. "No, no, I am sorry, but I have not!" His head rotated twice before returning to its previous position. The swordsman bowed his head politely, thanking the man for his time, yet the Mayor didn't seem to want to dismiss him just yet. "But…"

…and again the silver megaphone lifted, much to Sephiroth's horror. "Happy Halloween!!"

Despite The Mayor's absolutely dreadful happiness and garish wishes for the holiday, curiosity got the better of Sephiroth. "You have mentioned this occasion several times now… if you pardon my asking… what is 'Halloween'?"

Neither he nor Zack had heard of such a holiday before, nothing of the sort existing on the Planet…

The silver-haired vampire made a face as The Mayor's conic head spun once more, turning to reveal a saddened face this time, sharp teeth lining his lips, and skin a stomach-churning blue. "Aww, you've never heard of Halloween?" The Mayor asked, voice wavering to a near-crying pitch. "That is terrible, simply terrible!"

Sephiroth blinked.

__

/--…let's haul ass,--/ Zack cut in,_ /--this guy is driving me fuckin' **nuts**.--/_

And, coming from Zack, that _had_ to mean something.

/I agree./ "I'm terribly sorry, Mr. Mayor, it's been a pleasure, but I must run…"

The Mayor started to sob, the megaphone again at his lips. "Nooo, don't go!! Please, _stay_!!"

Sephiroth shook his head at the strange, crying little man before he turned on a heel and fled, hair billowing behind him. Once in relative seclusion, he tore a hole and ran through, letting himself step once again into the Darkness.

"I'm growing sick of this…," Sephiroth stated, hand on his bare chest. He looked down, noticing his clothing was back to normal. The silver-haired man sighed, stepping away from the Halloween Town area.

__

/--What, miss the clothes?--/ came the devious question.

__

/Shut up, Zackary./

A few paces away he stopped, calling up yet _another_ portal.

The new area was of a town with a dark black sky, with lively buildings illuminated by an endless series of lights. To his surprise, normal-looking people wandered the streets aimlessly, passing shops and buildings with red roofs, nearly all topped with chimneys. A familiar little blob in shades of pink bounced along the town's streets, coral-colored pompom bopping atop its little head.

"Well?"

Zack mentally shrugged. _/--There's a moogle. I say go for it.--/_ His companion agreed and stepped out.

…and landed directly in an alleyway.

Sephiroth growled. _/We usually end up in the area which was **depicted**./_

/--Eh, don't worry about it. You're smart, you can find your way around.--/

A large stack of boxes completely blocked one end of the alley. Sephiroth could have easily cut them down to size and passed through, but considering he was still new in town, he decided to keep his destructive side tamed, instead walking the opposite way. Amazingly, the alley was only mildly littered in, small puddles here and there, and not at all like the halls of garbage Midgar had.

They ended up in what looked like the back of a commercial district, banners for different shops and 'brand new' items strung from balcony to brick wall. Shallow stone-lined waterways lined the wall of a tall building, blue water sparkling with the lights from windows. The area looked dead, but there was a heavy feeling in it, much like the outer walls of Hollow Bastion.

Just in case, Sephiroth unsheathed the Masamune, the deadly length of the blade aching for another kill. Aqua eyes scanned the area as he steadily walked around the back of the buildings.

Something made a hissing noise at the silver-haired man's back, causing him to turn quickly. A monster had appeared out of nowhere, smoke surrounding it, the crest of the Heartless imprinted in its chest. The creature looked somewhat weak to Sephiroth, despite its advantage of the ability to fly. It was a Wyvern, if he remembered correctly, as evident from its draconian appearance, thick scales and coloration. The creature screeched at him before it flew away, high into the sky.

Its call summoned another of its type, and another. Sephiroth's eyes glittered. _/A challenge./_

/--…you're a fucked up dude, Seph.--/

One of the creatures dive-bombed him from above, slowing to lash at him with long, sharp claws. The Masamune easily arced upwards, slicing the Wyvern's stomach as another flew towards him, mouth open. Sephiroth, used to attacks of two or more at a time, shot his foot out, delivering a roundhouse kick to the beast's lower jaw with a satisfying crack.

Both Wyverns screeched, the one whose belly was injured again taking cover high in the sky. Spinning again, the silver-haired man brought his blade down at the end of the turn, swiftly beheading one of the creatures which had been flying towards him.

Its head rolled onto the ground and off to the side, landing in the shallow moat, and by the power of inertia, the rest of its body went crashing into the wall. The beast bounced off the brick and landed on the ground with a sick thud, disintegrating into purplish-black smoke as it hit, a translucent pink heart-shaped crystal rising from its chest.

Sephiroth looked up where another Wyvern cowered on top of a building. _/--That's the one with the broken jaw…--/_

The man eyed a low balcony and jumped, easily latching onto it before swinging his long legs upward. The creature's eyes narrowed as it let out a shriek, wings flapping in attempts to intimidate. Sephiroth smirked, jumping on the ledge of another balcony and grabbed onto the roof, pulling himself up, erected to his full height to stare down the now-cowering creature.

As he went to strike, a large clawed foot clobbered him in the back, sending Sephiroth to the ground. _/Thank you so much for the backup, **Zackary**./_

/--…oops.--/

The claw raked through his hair, tearing out several small clumps. Sephiroth snarled at the Wyvern, the thing having dared rip out some of his precious silver locks. He flipped onto his back, thrusting the long Masamune upwards, piercing the beast in the chest where the 'X' on the Heartless insignia stood bare inches above the previous slice to its snake-like belly. He jerked the sword, slicing through the Wyvern's sternum straight up to its throat and used his weight to swing the sword down, launching the bastard creature to the cobblestone ground below, silver strands still hanging from its talons.

Sephiroth lost all sense of tact as he got up and tore towards the third and last Wyvern, rage from the assault on his hair built up in his system.

The Heartless shrieked, flapping its wings to get away. Sephiroth snarled and slashed blindly with the blade, tearing through the Wyvern's wings, slicing its stomach and its face. With tattered wings, the beast had no hopes of flying again, but it still tried, futile as it was. It let out one last cry as Sephiroth decapitated this Wyvern as well, dark red blood spurting from its neck.

Zack was speechless at Sephiroth's pure anger from the loss of a very _minor_ amount of hair. He knew the man was incredibly vain sometimes - and rightly so - but to get that angry… over his _hair_?

The ex-General took a small rag from a hidden compartment in the Masamune's scabbard, hastily cleaning the blood from it before replacing both items in the sheath. When they were away, he removed a glove and slid his hand to the back of his head, wondering how much damage had been done.

He felt no obvious bald spots, but there was blood on his fingertips as his hand dropped away. The glove went back on and Sephiroth walked to the opposite ledge of the roof and looked down at another highly illuminated area of Traverse Town.

"Hmph."

__

/--…you alright, Seph?--/

"Fine." His reply was huffed, and the ex-SOLDIER knew his friend was still pissed.

Sephiroth slid himself down the roof's overhang, grasping the ledge before he let go, landing on a rather large sign from a storefront. He scanned that part of town for any sign of a certain spiky, golden-haired man. Finding his target not in the area, Sephiroth let out a sigh.

Only a few of the people on the street of Traverse Town's Second District took any real notice of the silver-haired, leather-clad man with a huge wing on his back jumping off the highest sign in the entire town.

Despite the height, Sephiroth landed easily and softly, feet barely missing the head of a little sandy-haired boy by inches. The boy's brown eyes were gigantic as he stared up at the man with the brightest aqua orbs he'd ever seen.

Shooting the kid an odd look, Sephiroth turned, quickly making his way through town before ending up at a door with 'Third District' printed over the top.

__

/Can you sense him, Zackary?/

/--No… I can feel someone else though… vaguely, but it's there… huh…--/

Sephiroth pushed open the overly large doors leading to Third, stepping through the doorway and moving quickly, leaping over a short wall of the upper part of the section. He looked around again, finding these streets completely empty. His eyes set on a large statue of two dogs nuzzling each other; the sight was much too sappy for his tastes, eliciting a scoff from the battle-hardened man.

He threw his head back, letting out an exasperated sigh, figuring the Fates had been working hard against him. The new area was dead, nothing but the scent and feeling of Heartless looming. They attacked as he walked briskly through the streets, Sephiroth mechanically taking them out with no conscious effort.

He approached another large set of doors and went through, not even bothering to read the sign stating where it lead to.

__

/Ah, this is what I wanted…/

Sephiroth ended up in a busy area of the town, 'First District'. He let a small smile of victory creep to his face as he and Zack scoured their surroundings in attempts to find a familiar face.

Neither one of them noticed the girl with long brown hair neatly made into a twisted braid down her back, glittering green eyes, dressed from head to toe in pink.

--------

Aerith stared, eyes wide, at the tall, silver-haired man standing at the entrance to First. The flower girl dropped the items she purchased minutes before and swiftly darted to Cid's Gummi Garage, barging in the door frantically.

"_CID_!!" she shouted, looking for the pilot. "**_CID_**!!!"

"What?!" he asked, walking out from the back, wiping his hands on an oily rag. Black smears were all over his face, particularly concentrated around his goggles, as the man developed a habit recently of tugging on them as he repaired and maintained numerous Gummi parts, the stress from the blocks causing his smoking habit to flare up like wildfire.

"Cid, _Cid_, **_Cid_**, _we have **trouble**_, **_CID_**!" the girl choked out, panic and welled-up tears prominent her beautiful emerald orbs, her petite hands balled into fists, pressed underneath her chin. Cid listened to what the flower girl told him before he went to grab his large, blue and yellow lance, face set in a furious scowl.

"That dirty _fuck's_ got another thing comin'."

__

------------------

Cloud woke up with a smile, completely comfortable. He was unsure of where he was exactly, only that wherever he was felt fantastic, and he was completely content, the place was soft, warm. And, to his pleasant surprise, it smelled nice. _Really_ nice. A heavy weight rested on his side and against his back, permeating warmth. And it was… breathing?

Blue eyes went wide as the blonde realized several things. The first was that he was in a bed. His mind reminded him that he didn't sleep in a _bed_, he slept on a _couch_. It wasn't too bad of a place to sleep, one of those overstuffed deals, but that wasn't the fact.

He _slept_ on a _couch_.

At _Leon's_ house.

So as far as Cloud could tell, he was, logically, lying in Leon's bed.

The second fact was a little more complicated. He knew that he had slept with a shirt on the night before, or at least fallen asleep wearing one. But, upon waking, he found that he was currently in a state of undress and clad only in his baggy SOLDIER pants, wing folded neatly against his back.

Cloud was also positive that beds couldn't breathe. His own breathing wasn't coming soft or slow like the thing lying next to him. The other's sounded strangely suspicious… sort of like that of someone sleeping comfortably. Meaning he was in Leon's bed…

…_shirtless_…

…with **_Leon_**.

Making matters worse was fact number three. Cloud lifted the sheets, finding a tan arm draped easily over his side, the fingers brushing clean linen. The source of warmth other than the covers over him - and, apparently, over Leon - was said brunette himself, somehow spooning Cloud with a leathery wing in his face. He didn't know when the ex-SeeD got there, or why, but he was there.

Leon felt shirtless as well.

The blonde blinked. _[What the hell is going **on** here?]_

He swallowed the lump that made its way into his throat. _[We didn't… no, I've still got… pants on… don't know about **him**, though… what the hell…?!]_

As if Leon realized Cloud was thinking about him, the older man shifted, pulling the blonde closer. Blue eyes went wide as his breathing hitched, bringing Cloud to the fourth and final realization.

And that was… the undeniable hardness pressed into the small of his back.

Cloud blanched, slowly turning his head skyward, mouth slightly slack. _[Why do you hate me?!]_

The higher powers never gave him a reason, only adding fuel to the fire as the scarred brunette moaned quietly, unconsciously rubbing his cheek on Cloud's bare shoulder. The smaller man bit his lip, a quivering sigh releasing itself from his throat.

[How can just being **next** to this guy make me so horny?!]

The mercenary felt the familiar heat in his groin and he clamped his eyes shut as the sleeping man's arm slipped further down, resting itself on his hip. Cloud let out a whimper as Leon's body shifted again, hardness dangerously close to his behind.

[What the fuck! Why are you torturing me?!] He blinked. _[And why the hell am I still laying in bed?!]_

The truth was, Cloud didn't want to move. The object of his lust had his lean, muscular body molded perfectly to his back, and he… very much liked it. Spooning was nice, and Leon was nicer…

[Too bad he'll be pissed when he wakes up…]

"Um… hi…," came a rich baritone voice from behind him. The blonde jumped at the unexpected greeting from the man whose arm was still slung over his hip. "I… suppose an explanation is in order?"

Cloud squeaked an affirmative, and the brunette muttered a curse as he rolled away.

__

[Found your little problem,?]

The blonde frowned slightly at the loss of heat at his back, but quickly recovered as Leon sat up and cleared his throat. Cloud took the hint and sat as well, turning around to face his friend. _[He looks even better right when he wakes up…]_

Leon's hair was messier than usual, sticking up in places and slightly tangled, grey-blue eyes nearly closed, eyelids heavy with sleep. The blonde figured his friend never wore shirts to bed, as he clearly wasn't wearing one then, same as he hadn't before, baring his finely sculpted chest and arms… not to mention that tattoo. He wore his usual baggy black pajama pants as well, low-slung and tied loosely.

__

[…the gods must **really** hate me…,] Cloud groaned.

The older man raked a hand through his hair and brought it away, looking at his palm with a frown. He sighed and caught eyes with the blonde, a ghost of a smile at his lips. "Are you feeling alright this morning?"

Cloud shrugged. "I guess."

"Good. You were a complete wreck last night."

"I was?" A blonde eyebrow raised as Leon nodded, a bundle of bed sheets crumpled up and laying in his lap.

"Cried yourself to sleep, and you wouldn't let me stay on the couch."

"I don't… remember that…," the mercenary stated, now more than a little embarrassed.

Leon shrugged and pushed the covers away, moving quickly to get off the bed. He padded his way into the kitchen, barefoot, motioning for the blonde to follow him.

"Like I mentioned, you were a wreck. Your injury and apparent guilt must have triggered something," he said, grabbing two bowls from a cupboard and a box of unsweetened cereal, placing them on the table.

"Hm." Cloud watched the other man move. For someone so tough-looking and masculine, Leon's movements were graceful, transitioning easily from one position to another with motions like that of a dancer. "Meaning I cried and whined on your shoulder all night?"

"Yeah. And you made me stay with you," he reiterated quietly, a carton of milk and spoons plopping onto the small table. Cloud rolled his eyes.

"So I heard."

Leon gestured towards the empty bowl on the opposite end of the table. "Have some breakfast, I want to train a bit today." He looked up at the grumpy blonde before adding, "if you're well enough." Cloud just nodded, filling his bowl with the cardboard chunks Leon the healthy eater attempted to pass off as cereal.

The two men finished their breakfast quickly, the blonde more reluctant than the other to both chew and swallow the tasteless squares. After taking - their own - showers and dressing, both men headed out to the Secret Waterway.

"…I've never seen that kind before," Cloud muttered, watching a purple and fuchsia-clad mage in a pointy hat drop its staff before clutching its chest. It groped blindly in the air as it fell, a tornado of color swirling around it, leaving nothing but the its staff behind.

Leon finished off a Darkball, launching it back and into a nearby wall with a deadly slash-and-fire-slug burst combination. The Darkball exploded, black dust with purple smoke bursting into the air. To the brunette's shock, the creature dropped a Hi-Potion and a small, light blue crystal.

"New Heartless carrying new items," he observed, examining the crystal in his hand, tossing the potion to Cloud. "Maybe this can be used in the Synth Shop…"

The blonde watched as the gunblade wielder flipped the crystal several times before dropping it into a pocket of his coat. "They're stronger, too." Leon nodded.

"Just another thing to discuss with Sora."

Random attacks were a more common occurrence as both men walked the streets of Second. They fought a few more Wizards - which annoyed Cloud more than anything - and Darkballs, encountering small groups of lightning and fire magi. The two men noticed that their enemies weren't falling as easy as they had previously, and their attacks were stronger.

Easily they took out fleets of Wyverns, gratefully taking potions and crystals they dropped. One left behind an Elixir, the blonde greedily taking it before his friend noticed - unaware that move was something Yuffie did all the time, and Leon knew it when it happened.

Ghosts were out of place in Traverse Town, materializing out of nowhere right along with other Heartless. Their heads spun as their eyes rolled in large circles, searching for prey.

One ghost's eyes burned red as Cloud neared it, spotlight from them burning into him. It raised its arms and spun, slapping him with each pass of the hand.

"What the hell?!"

The blonde grunted and brought the Buster Sword up, somehow hacking through the apparition's body. It made a popping noise and faded out before Cloud's eyes. His eyebrows were raised as his head snapped about him, searching for any signs of the thing.

Leon was battling an old enemy class of Heartless, lovingly named Large Bodies. The tip of the gunblade came down as the man leapt off the ground, piercing it into the flesh of the creature's back as he landed. The round Heartless made a gurgling noise, beating on its stomach with ham-fisted arms.

Cloud felt something claw at his back as he was pitched forward. He scowled at the ground before pushing himself up, not bothering to look behind him as the blade of his sword sliced the meaty tail from a fleeing Wyvern. Thick blood oozed from the wound and the creature shrieked, whipping a claw at the blonde.

Tired of the fight, Cloud swung the Buster in a wide arc and used his entire weight to further the attack. A deep gash tore into the Wyvern's neck, dropping it onto the ground, instantly dead.

"That's all of them."

Cloud turned to find Leon pulling the blade of his weapon from another Wyvern's back. The brunette appeared to glow, having filled his bloodlust on the many Heartless stupid enough to attack the formidable duo. Cloud's heart leapt into his throat as the older man swung the gunblade up and rested a flat edge on his shoulder with his other hand on his hip, standing in one of the most beautiful stances he'd ever seen the other take. A breeze kicked up, running itself through Leon's hair, brushing it against his face.

Cloud whimpered. He felt like such a _girl_.

The older man cocked his head to the side, hair sliding seductively into his eyes.

[…ah…]

Cloud's thoughts were incoherent, and Leon had no idea what his simple act of _standing_ was doing to the blonde. "So what do you want to do?"

__

[You!!]

Cloud choked as his mouth went to repeat his thought, earning him a questioning look. One gloved hand removed itself from his mouth as he waved it off, praying for Leon to just let it go. He swallowed, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. "What?"

"You don't look too well at the moment."

"…I'm fine."

Leon huffed, tapping the gunblade on his shoulder. His expression conveyed a look that asked Cloud if he thought the brunette was a moron, but Leon stood silent, eyebrows slightly raised as he watched the younger man. Cloud grumbled, glaring at him.

"What?!" he shouted finally, causing the ex-SeeD to smirk. Leon shook his head.

"Nothing." He jerked his head towards the entrance to the Secret Waterway, beckoning Cloud to follow. "Come on," he paused momentarily. "If you're up to it."

Cloud trailed behind him reluctantly, begging his eyes to stay straight forward instead of landing on the other man's backside again. Deciding it was a lost cause, his vision stayed fixed on the curves underneath the leather, wondering if his own body could even be compared to Leon's.

That was, if he had the urge to remove Vincent's mantle.

Once inside, a chill shot through the blonde. There was a constant dankness inside the place that always made him feel sick, the faraway sounds of water dropping from cracks in the cave walls made him jump, nearly slipping on the mossy rocks where he stood. He didn't know why, but the place _always_ felt familiar, like somewhere he never wanted to return to. A shriek rang out from his throat as a hand dropped on his unarmored shoulder.

"Dammit, Leon, don't DO that!" Cloud scowled, inhaling deeply the thick air. He grimaced, the taste of mold in his mouth. "…I don't like this place," he muttered, head snapping back and forth at the slightest sound, gloved hand gripped tightly on the hilt of the Buster.

"There aren't any Heartless here, if that's bothering you." The older one had taken several steps back after the blonde's sudden outburst. Mako-blue eyes glowed slightly in the dark, wide and frightened, not at all soothed by his words. "What's wrong with you? You've been here before…"

Cloud closed his eyes, counting backwards from ten to calm his nerves. _[This is so stupid. Stop worrying…]_ "I'll be fine once we spar…"

Leon looked doubtful.

"If you say so."

The two walked deeper into the dreary cave, partially lit by torches set up - most likely by Leon - near an opening with a platform. Cloud stared at it, wondering what it was, and the other man caught his wondering gaze. "It leads to Merlin's," he said simply, taking up a fighting stance, "we're under his house, remember…?"

Leon spread his legs apart to brace himself, massive gunblade clutched in both fists.

"Ready?"

The blonde nodded, setting himself in a defensive position. Almost at once, Leon pounced, barely leaving Cloud enough time to raise the Buster Sword to block an attack to his head. The two weapons clashed together, vibration from the force numbing both sets of hands.

Leon's face was emotionless as he swung and slashed, indifferent expression never faltering. His greyish-blue eyes were narrowed in concentration as he attacked swiftly, moves measured and precise. More than once he mechanically pulled the trigger of the gun, making Cloud wince. The brunette had emptied the barrel before the match, of course, but naturally, the blonde's nerves weren't soothed as he was very close to getting shot at.

Neither man managed to hit the other as Cloud switched to offense. Leon grunted as the younger one swung the Buster Sword upwards, the gunblade coming up to block an overhead attack. He smirked as the blonde pulled his sword back, stepping away several paces to ready the sword again.

Knowing it was a dirty move, Leon tackled Cloud, pinning him to the ground, the flat edge of the gunblade pressed into the smaller man's chest, legs clamping the others down. The Buster Sword was no longer in Cloud's possession, leaving his hands empty - empty with the exception of Leon's knees, of course, crushing them.

[How the fuck did he manage that?!]

The blonde's face contorted uncomfortably as his wing was crushed beneath him, their bones surprisingly resilient under the weight of both men. Cloud couldn't place the look on the scarred one's face, expression somewhere between victorious and… something else…

[What the hell?!] Cloud struggled, but was still unable to move.

"Leon, what the fuck?! Get off of me!!" The other man didn't move.

"I win."

"Win what?! I thought we were just sparring!"

Leon blinked and shook his head. At once his face returned to its usual expression. "We are," he said, voice slightly shaken. "I just wanted to… see if you could get out of this," he finished, pausing between words.

The blonde growled, jerking under the taller one. "This shit won't happen in the tournament!!"

"So? Get out of it." Leon's breathing had quickened considerably since he had forced the other man into such a submissive position. Thoughts of the blonde under him crept into his mind, quickly pushed aside after he reminded himself it was only from victory.

"If you _can_," Leon taunted with a smirk, leaning on the gunblade.

Cloud snarled, heaving his body upward. Leon was heavy, as evidenced from the weight pressing onto the sword at his chest and hands, the brunette's thighs preventing movement.

Curling his fingers, Cloud quickly located a pressure point on the other man's knee and squeezed. The brunette almost laughed at the near indescribable tickling pain the move brought from near his kneecap. The odd sensation shot through his leg, the feeling numbing it. On instinct, Leon shifted in attempt to restore feeling to his limb.

On instinct, Cloud took the opportunity to thrust his hips up and throw the other man off of him.

Leon's eyes flew open as Cloud's smaller body made contact with his own. His cheeks flushed as the blonde repeated the move, causing him to scramble backwards and off the other man. Both warriors got up, Cloud quickly snatching his sword and whirling around, blade ready to attack the other man.

"That was a dirty fucking _move_," he spat, glowing blue eyes narrowed angrily. "Why the FUCK did you DO that?!"

Leon didn't respond as the smaller man leapt forward, attacking him viciously. The flurry of blows were almost too much for the ex-SeeD to handle, nearly getting sliced into more than once, Cloud moving in faster than he anticipated.

But as Cloud seemed to slacken his attacks, Leon took the opportunity to once again take up the offense, grunting with every fierce swing of his own blade.

Cloud reverted to defense, the brunette now more relentless than he himself had been. All too soon he found his back pressed up against one of the slick cave walls. He had no room to maneuver his sword, and Leon was well aware of that fact.

With one heavy swing, the older man knocked the sword from the other's hands. A sharp noise rang out as the Buster hit the stone floor and slid away.

The blonde blinked down at his empty hands, not noticing Leon discarding his own weapon. Cloud let out a grunt as the older man's hands grabbed onto his wrists and pinned them to his sides, his whole weight pressed into Cloud's body. Bright blue eyes looked up to see Leon's greyish ones mere inches from his own.

"Let's see you get out of this one," he said. His breath came in hot puffs on Cloud's cheek, and all too soon Cloud realized how close their bodies actually were together and his face burned a furious shade of crimson. Leather moved on leather as Leon shifted, bringing an unbidden whimper from the blonde.

__

[Oh, shit… what the fuck?!]

"Leon," Cloud started, "move…"

Leon stayed where he was, eyes boring into Cloud's. The blonde's breath hitched in his throat and he swallowed hard, an all-too familiar feeling welling up in his lower stomach. The way Leon was looking at him…

[Please move…]

"Well? What are you going to do now, Strife?" Leon's voice was more of a low growl from the base of his throat, arousing Cloud even more. The older man was being damn forceful with him and he had no choice but to be so submissive in the close proximity…

__

[Why are you doing this, Leon…,] the small blonde's thought whimpered pathetically, realizing the older man's face was deadly close to his own. He couldn't deny that Leon very much looked like he wanted…

__

[Get away before I…]

Cloud's thoughts were cut off as his body finally betrayed him. Back lifted from the wall and Cloud leaned forward, pulling the older man into a kiss.

The hands on his wrists loosened just slightly, then tightened into an almost painful grip. Damned if aggression wasn't a turn-on, the blonde pressed his lips harder into the other man's, breathing labored through his nose. His eyes stayed clamped shut, tears nearly spilling from under his lids in embarrassment and anger at himself, but he found himself utterly unable to pull away.

Hands holding wrists clenched and relaxed with every short moment of the kiss, and Cloud noted that Leon's breathing almost as ragged and excited as his own. Soon enough the brunette pulled his head back, breaking the kiss and gasping for air. Leon stared at him, dazedly.

"Cloud…"

He started to stutter an apology before he was silenced, Leon leaning his body completely into him, full lips catching his own.

Cloud's eyes went wide and he tensed up with the realization, _[holy… he's… **kissing** ME!!]_

Using this fact as initiative, Cloud let instinct take over. He pushed himself into it, mouth parting over Leon's bottom lip. The viselike grip on his wrists tightened impossibly as a noise rumbled through the brunette's throat, arms coming up, placing them on either side of Cloud's head.

The blonde had a brief thought that Leon was going to break away again, but that idea was shot as the older man continued to kiss him. All common sense blew out the window as Cloud let his tongue slowly make its way towards the lip in his mouth, flicking lightly before running its way across, Leon's skin soft and velvety to his touch.

To Cloud's great surprise, Leon tilted his head downward, brown hair tickling both of their cheeks as he opened his mouth to the kiss. Almost greedily Cloud's tongue slipped in, sliding against everything it could - teeth, cheeks, the other man's own, warm and wet. Leon tasted like mint and something else, a taste he couldn't quite describe but knew that 'clean' was likely only word that could accurately portray it.

Cloud gave a hushed moan as the other's tongue tentatively found his own, Leon's hands finally moving from his bracelet-bound wrists to slide down his sides, finally settling on his waist.

Wasting no time, the blonde buried his unclawed hand into the shaggy mane of brown, bare fingers curling themselves into the soft, thick hair.

Leon pulled Cloud closer to his body, disregarding the armor digging into him, kissing back more urgently than before. The blonde held the older man's head in place, both of them desperately in need of air but denying themselves of it, too enrapt in that connection they were both unwilling to stop.

The blonde groaned low in his throat, Leon running his hands up and down his sides. Cloud's clawed hand hung limply at his side, wanting to move but afraid the tips would cut the other man; not to mention his other was too busy reveling in the feel of Leon's hair to remove the glove.

Cloud tore his head away when the strain on his lungs became too great and the two greedily sucked in air. Caught by surprise, he felt Leon's lips on his again, the older man controlling the kiss, tongues tangling in a fit of passion. Cloud gasped as the other man's hand suddenly fell to cup his backside, squeezing the muscle underneath tight black leather.

Sure that the other was looking for more than just a kiss, Cloud lost all sense of self-control. It had been a very long time since he was last with anyone; and even though Leon wasn't Sephiroth, Cloud couldn't bring himself to care at the moment. The brunette wasn't resisting at all, instead silently urging Cloud on, just as needy as the mercenary himself.

He shoved Leon away from the wall, dragging the older man down to the ground and straddling his hips. Cloud hastily pushed the numerous belts up around the ex-SeeD's midsection and ground their groins together feverishly, earning surprised gasps and groans from the older man.

Leon's eyes were clamped shut, chest heaving, and Cloud smirked to himself at the brunette's newfound submission. It wasn't often he was on the top, but it seemed that if this was going where he hoped it was, Leon was clearly in no position to dominate just at that second… but, in all honesty, Cloud didn't really like to be on top, though he wasn't about to decline an opportunity. In his opinion, there was far too much work involved in the act. He preferred to be on the receiving end, simply working with the other party as he let the pleasure sink in, selfish as it was. Luckily for him, Sephiroth never once gave him a choice in the matter, so whether or not he wanted to be on the bottom back then was a moot point.

…but, maybe Leon wouldn't decline the chance to be inside him after…

The brunette tilted his head backwards, exposing his neck to Cloud's lips and tongue. Leon's cheeks were flushed, small beads of sweat pasting shaggy bangs on his forehead, hands clutching at unruly blonde spikes, hissing when Cloud found a particularly sensitive spot just underneath his ear. Attention was paid to that spot and Leon writhed as the blonde removed his clawed glove, both hands attacking the buttons and zipper of his pants.

The gloved hand pushed open the fly and Cloud slipped his fingers in, kneading the bare, hardening flesh underneath. Leon bit his lip, unable to control the moans that slipped from the very pit of his stomach as Cloud explored his body, the blonde's mouth alternating from sucking on the older man's throat to licking and nipping his ear.

His tight shirt was slip up as Cloud's bare hand found a nipple and massaged it, the chest underneath rising and falling quickly._ [I'm so glad I'm able to multitask…,]_ Cloud thought humorlessly as Leon hissed his name.

Cloud went back to kissing the gunblade wielder's lips, tugging the man's pants down from his hips before taking the other man's erection into his hand again. Leon's mind was abuzz as he pulled Cloud's face away, simply resting their foreheads together, gritting his teeth as the mercenary watched his reactions.

The blonde greatly enjoyed the look on Leon's face. It was contorted with a sort of pleasured anger, eyes tightly shut, lips pulled across perfect white teeth… mad, and frustrated, but very much enjoying himself at the same time.

Leon gyrated his hips, attempting to get even more friction. His moans became louder and more frequent as Cloud pumped faster, tensing and relaxing his hand. Leon's grip on the blonde's hair loosened as he dropped his head back, resting it completely on the cold stone floor. Cloud smiled at the loss of inhibition. Still no signs Leon wanted him to stop…

Slowly, Cloud slid himself down the brunette's body, teasingly lapping at the exposed flesh of his abdomen before abruptly taking Leon into his mouth.

"Cloud!!"

Naked hips thrust up and Cloud pulled back, instinctively. Sephiroth had always done the same thing, after all, impatient for that final reward. In some ways his body was still used to the motion, brain alerting him that going down on someone was actually quite the choking hazard…

Pushing the inane thought aside, he held the older man's hips to the ground and worked Leon into a frenzy, the older man's rough breathing laced with unashamed moans, other pleasured noises slipping from his lips. From the corner of his eye, Cloud saw a black-gloved hand quickly make its way to Leon's mouth, the older man biting down hard to muffle a gasp.

Leon looked down, watching as the blonde head dipped down low. While he was no virgin, the former SeeD shakily noted that none of the girls he'd been with had ever been quite so into it as Cloud apparently was. And that fact would've been sort of funny, had the other man's tongue and hands not been bringing him to such unfathomable heights…

All too soon it was over.

Tensing, Leon bit his lip hard enough to draw blood, an inarticulate noise ringing through the damp cave, even managing to reverberate off thick stone walls - no doubt echoing up into Merlin's home. Cloud closed his eyes and swallowed hungrily; the brunette had tasted even better than he had imagined he would.

With a sigh he went back up, licking the cool metal of Leon's earring. The older man was left panting, head turned off to the side, jaw slackened. Cloud noted a small trickle of red seeped from Leon's lip, and by the dismissive attitude the brunette was giving the wound, it was obviously something Leon seemed unaware of.

Cloud tilted his head, eyelashes brushing the other's cheek, soft golden spikes trailing over their foreheads. "I want you to fuck me, Leon," he whispered pointedly, hot puffs of his breath washing over the older man's face.

Reality of what had happened hit the brunette suddenly, the words coming from _that_ voice hitting his ear, and Cloud's unarmored leg hooking over his own. Blue-grey eyes shot wide open, Leon's entire body locking up as he took a wary, sidelong glance at the mercenary. "…what?"

"_Fuck_ me," Cloud repeated, lips brushing against a tan, pierced ear.

Leon pushed the blonde away and got to his feet, hastily buttoning up his pants, head moving disapprovingly. "I told you before, I'm… I'm _not_ a…," he mumbled, turning his back on Cloud. "**_No_**. I have to… get out of here…"

Cloud stared as the leather-clad man snatched his discarded gunblade off the floor, the weapon almost slipping from his shaking hands.

"…**_Cid_**. I… need to go… see _Cid_."

With that, the scarred one nearly ran out of the Secret Waterway, the hard heels of his boots clacking harshly on the stones, never sparing a look back at the dazed blonde.

Cloud absently wiped his mouth with the back of his hand after the angered footsteps faded out, frowning deeply.

[FUCK.]

His head dropped to his chest, fists pounding on the cave floor. "Fuck, _fuck_, _FUCK_."

He sighed heavily, kicking himself mentally for what he did. Of course Leon had told him he was straight, he remembered, but…

__

[But he KISSED ME…,] came the pathetic thought, _[he kissed me after I kissed him but gods, Leon, if you're so fucking straight then don't… KISS me…]_

Cloud snarled at himself, grabbing a nearby rock and throwing it as hard as he could into the darkness of the cave. "How the fuck was I supposed to know you didn't _want_ that… you could have _stopped_me!" the blonde shouted, angered, embarrassed tears springing into his eyes.

[What am I supposed to do now?!] he asked himself, face buried in his hands. _[He ran away from me… so where am I supposed to stay?! And… fuck… I need to find Sephiroth… oh, gods… Seph…]_

Cloud was extremely ashamed of himself, felt stupid for letting something like that happen, was mad at Leon for leading him on… and Sephiroth for not being there.

Determinedly, Cloud stood up and scowled as he took his weapon, ready to absolutely demolish any Heartless that decided to show its face.

----------------------

__

A/N: Chapter revised 7/11/04, 1200 words…

That was completely unplanned lime. COMPLETELY. I was just going to have them kiss, and it kinda… took off from there. Tee…

::drools at stylish, Anne Rice-like Vampire!Sephiroth:: God, that's sexy. ::imagines Seph and Lestat together… melts:: Wouldn't that be a gorgeous picture? Mm-mm. But no, VC fiction isn't allowed. Bah.

Gasp! Another Sephiroth fight scene-y thing! ::smacks forehead on desk:: That's what… four for him thus far? Five? ::rolls eyes at self::


	13. Part Twelve

****

Part Twelve

__

-All the shit I seem to take  
All alone I seem to break  
I have lived the best I can  
Does this make me not a man?  
-"Alone I Break", KoRn-  
------------------

Cid slammed through to door of his Gummi garage, the flimsy plank of wood nearly snapping off of its creaky hinges. He couldn't take it; Aerith was hysterical, panicking at the thought of Sephiroth's return.

She couldn't restrain herself. She saw the look on the man's face, that smile… the only time she knew he smiled was when…

A choked sob burst from the flower girl's throat, causing her blonde companion to whirl around, glaring at her. Cid blamed the sob on himself - he had been rather forceful earlier in his attempt to calm the girl down after he had taken the Venus Gospel into his hands, ready to kill 'that fuckin' silver-haired motherfuckin' pretty-boy piece 'a shit son-of-a-bitch bastard'.

While Aerith had no qualms about the proclamation, she was more upset over the fact that the man had -more than once - come a little too close to accidentally slicing her with the lance's razor-sharp edge. Cid had misunderstood the worry as madness and grabbed the girl by the arms, shaking her violently. How that had managed to calm her down - especially while shouting at her to do so - Cid didn't know.

"Hey, knock that shit off!" Aerith shook again, hands clasped in front of her.

"I… I'm sorry, Cid," she stuttered, taking in a shaky breath. Silently, she cursed herself for always leaving the Princess Guard at home when venturing out, something she shouldn't have done in the first place, considering the Heartless littering the streets. "I… we…"

Cid growled. "Stop that _cryin_' shit, this ain't the time, girl!" His blue eyes scanned through Traverse Town's First District carefully. "Alright, Where'd ya say that lousy fuck was?"

"He was… in front of the door. Third and First…" She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, sniffling quietly. Cid's eyebrows knit themselves together, forming hard creases on his forehead. His teeth clamped on the filter of his cigarette so hard that Aerith was surprised the thing wasn't leaking out the brown toxins it contained.

The pilot tugged on his goggles and dropped his hand to his forehead as he scanned the streets of First - a move he often did on the Highwind II numerous times to shield his eyes of the sun. Though, in Traverse Town, it was simply a force of habit.

"I don't see the fucker," Cid grunted. "C'mon."

Not-too-gently Cid grabbed the girl's slender wrists and pulled her roughly as he walked farther into the town to continue their search, stopping every so often to inquire about a 'cock-knocker with silver hair' to stunned town residents.

"I'm scared, Cid," Aerith spoke quietly, latching onto her companion's arm. The pilot absently twirled the Venus Gospel in his hand before he poised it straight in front of him, readying it for their old enemy.

"Now ain't the time, girl," he grunted, his free hand grabbing then lighting a cigarette. "So shut the fuck up an' help me look."

Aerith could do nothing but comply.

--------

__

/Nothing./

/--Hmph. This really sucks, Seph.--/

/I agree, but there is no other option./

/--…just don't fall, alright? Gods, you're a psycho.--/

/So I've heard./

Sephiroth stood on the roof of a tall building, eyes scouring the new area. The tips of his boots were jutting off the roof's overhang as he observed, causing Zack to flinch with every movement. His friend was nearly indestructible, or so it seemed, but still a fall from a four-story building would _hurt_.

Without warning, Sephiroth jumped, twisting himself around in the air before latching on to the overhang.

Zack shrieked against his will. _/--DAMMIT SEPH, DON'T DO THAT!!--/_

"Zackary, please! I know what I'm doing!"

The silver-haired one let go, dropping quietly onto a balcony beneath him. He repeated his earlier actions until his feet were on the ground once more. Straightening his clothing, he let out a sigh.

"Well, that proved fruitless."

He marched into the middle of the bustling street of First and scanned. Nothing. He growled audibly, and several citizens of town tentatively stared at him with wide eyes. Sephiroth, however, noticed none of that as he pushed his way through the crowd, growing increasingly more frustrated as time wore on.

--------

"There he is!!" Cid shouted as he pointed at Sephiroth's dark form, his back facing the pilot and the green-eyed girl.

"Please, Cid… be careful," Aerith whispered, following his as he stormed past Traverse residents.

"Fuck that," he said, closing the distance between himself and their old enemy. "That fuck better be careful of _me_."

--------

Sephiroth cocked his head to the side, taking a look down a darkened alley. No, he didn't think Cloud was one who would frequent the places, but still he figured it was worth a try. In fact, the silver-haired man was so tuned into his search that he didn't even hear the menacing footsteps pounding their way towards him.

__

/--Damn, Seph, watch your ba—!--/

Before Zack could finish his warning, the former General felt something slam the back of his neck with a loud crack, nearly fracturing vertebrae. Sephiroth fell hard to his knees, face contorted in a mix of surprise, pain, and fury.

/--I **tried** to warn you this time, I **swear**!!--/

Sephiroth didn't reply, white teeth gritted. The assault to his neck had left him with a throbbing, painful heat radiating down his back and up to the base of his skull. He snarled, right hand reaching for the Masamune, left bracing him upright. His head was down, silky hair spilt over his shoulders and onto the cobblestone street. A swift kick to his kidney made his other hand drop to prevent him from collapsing, quest for his sword forgotten.

"You fuckin' pussy sonovabitch!!" came a hoarse, angry voice, absolutely seething with hatred. It sounded vaguely familiar, though Sephiroth's memory was temporarily far too clouded with fury-slash-pain to recall its owner. "You should fuckin' be dead!" Another kick to his side.

Mako with a mix of Jenova cells were flaring up in Sephiroth's body, the feeling turning his entire being numb to dull the blows to his neck and kidney. Though he sorely wanted to, the man refused to look up at his assailant - he knew he would cut the attacker down if he did. And, even though the gruff one was quite hostile towards him, Sephiroth could _not_ allow himself to kill an innocent human again.

"Say somethin', ya fuckin' little _BITCH_!"

Glowing aqua eyes clamped shut as a third kick from a heavy, booted foot swung into his side.

"What, fuckin' psycho General's a fuckin' pansy now? Get up!" came another taunt.

"…you know me," Sephiroth somewhat asked, voice surprisingly cool for the beating he was receiving. His fingers curled, force from the action almost enough to break bits and pieces from the cobblestone beneath them. "…though not an old friend, I imagine," he grunted as something jabbed his side.

"The fuck you **_think_**, _fucker_?! I ain't _you_, I don't just fuckin' go _attack_ innocent fuckin' **_people_**! 'Course I _know_ you!!"

Sephiroth's head whirled to his aggressor, catlike pupils slitted dangerously as his eyes narrowed, strong jaw set. All of a sudden it clicked. The man was many years older than the last time Sephiroth saw him, but there was no mistaking that countenance.

"Captain Highwind."

"_Fuck_ you," Cid spat furiously. Mako-drenched eyes caught sight of another set of brown-booted feet behind the pilot, a brief flash of pink appearing behind the man's leg.

__

/--…Aeris…?--/ Zack asked himself, voice uncharacteristically soft.

"The Cetra…" Sephiroth bit his lip enough to draw blood, unconsciously lapping at it with a quick flick of his tongue. At least now he understood the source of the hostility…

/If Captain Highwind and the Cetra both are here… is Cloud…?/

"She has a _name_, you fuckin' **_murderer_**!!" Cid shouted, hand on the Venus Gospel clenched hard enough to snap its length.

Sephiroth's thoughts broke off and he shook his head in a disarming gesture. His hand went to reach for the Masamune again but was swiped away with a deft rap from the handle of Cid's lance.

"Keep your fuckin' hands away from that!" the pilot ordered, face so dark it was nearly purple.

"…excuse me," Sephiroth apologized, voice audibly fighting for calm. "I mean no harm, I assure you. You do not trust me, of course, I'm aware of that fact." The blonde pilot growled. "Perhaps if you took my weapon," Sephiroth supplied, staring deep into Cid's eyes.

The gruff, older man took the Venus Gospel in both hands, its tip at Sephiroth's throat. "I'd be pretty fuckin' stupid to trust you, you fuck. Take that fuckin' sword off," he ordered, glaring. "You try any shit at _all_, I'll shove this through your fuckin' **_THROAT_**."

Sephiroth knew he would do just that, and complied.

Feline eyes seemingly looked through Cid when he finished discarding the Masamune, and towards the trembling girl in back of him. "I'm sorry…"

__

/--…Aeris…,--/ Zack repeated, shocked. He had seen her in the Lifestream, but to see her… _alive_ again…

"…Aeris." The flower girl whimpered upon hearing her former name.

"_Don't_ fuckin' talk to her."

Sephiroth held up one gloved hand to show he wasn't going to attack and sat back on his feet, shaking his head. The position he was in made him look - and sort of feel - like a scolded child apologizing to his parents for stealing a cookie. It was ridiculous, and humiliating, but to remove any fear of him that she had of him, Sephiroth was aware it had to be done.

"…Aeris…," the silver-haired man started, carefully testing out the name. It was his first time calling her something other than 'girl', and it was… strange. "Aeris… please look at me. I apologize for what—"

"I said _don't_ fuckin' **_TALK_** _TO HER_!!" the pilot cut him off, spitting a long-dead cigarette butt from his mouth at the silver-haired man.

"The girl can speak for herself!" Sephiroth shouted, pale cheeks tinting themselves red. He closed his eyes and counted backwards from ten to calm himself; the last thing he needed was for his anger to get the better of him. Sephiroth swallowed hard as the point of the blue and yellow lance touched his shifting Adam's apple, the smallest trickle of blood seeping through a small wound.

Behind Cid, Aerith shifted. "I-I can't stay anymore… I have…"

Without finishing her statement, the pink-clad Cetra shook her head and let out another soft cry, dashing away from them, back to the direction of her home.

"Get up." Sephiroth stared up at the older man through his lashes, clenching and unclenching his jaw. "Get. The. Fuck. _UP_!!" Cid repeated.

The silver-haired man nodded slowly, lifting himself from the ground. He flapped his wing absently, causing several molted blue-black feathers to fall from it in a fairly dramatic manner. Cid sidestepped over to the Masamune, eyes and weapon still trained on Sephiroth as he picked up the sword and clipped it onto his belt.

"You fuckin' come with me. We got us a _lot_ of shit to talk about."

--------

Leon scowled as he reloaded the barrel of the gunblade. If he had to fight one more of those damned Defenders, he was going to shoot _himself_. They came in waves, using both brute force and magic. Three of them had ganged up on him not too long ago, their beastly shields snapping at the warrior. Leon had taken two of them out earlier, leaving him with just one more - one which just would not die. It was getting ridiculous.

The brunette wiped blood from his lip as he dodged a spinning attack, rolling on the ground to the massive monster's back. He shot a fire round as he lay in the street and then stood, both hands on the hilt of his weapon. Bringing his arms up high he brought the blade down, cutting through the scorched, thin armor at its back. The Defender growled at the invasion, spinning around.

Leon smiled inwardly at the creature's predictability. He held onto his weapon and angled it down, imbedding the blade deeper. He brought his legs up as the Heartless spun, staying at its back; Leon was glad Heartless were so dumb. It would confuse itself if he 'magically disappeared'.

When the thing stood where Leon once was, it stopped and looked around, giving the gunblade wielder the chance he needed. Placing both feet on its back, he pushed off, firing another shot before landing. Jumping again, the blade this time severed the monster's spinal cord at the base of its neck. Black blood poured from both wounds in its back as the Defender collapsed, its motor skills gone.

He retracted the blade then dropped it down, decapitating it. It disappeared with a puff of purple smoke, leaving the stench of rot behind, along with another crystal and an Elixir. Leon pocketed both items and left.

Now finished with his battle, the brunette walked aimlessly through Second District, replaying the events of his encounter with Cloud in his head. He was… confused.

Extremely so, and he knew, in more ways than one.

He didn't know why he let himself act the way he did, and under any normal circumstance, he knew he wouldn't have. The last time Cloud kissed him - which he clearly remembered, despite his intoxication - he hadn't reacted…

Leon ran his hand through his hair, finding it slightly damp from where his head had rested on the stone of the Secret Waterway, and _why_ it had been there… Cloud. The source of all his confusion.

Leon sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. He knew had liked what the blonde was doing, he obviously couldn't deny _that_. He also couldn't deny that he _knew_ what the blonde _was_ in the first place, and what he was _doing_ and that it felt really… _good_. Something, though, something felt wrong to him. Not a _bad_ wrong, per se…

The man grunted, kicking a pebble out of his way. Was it guilt? It felt like it. But for what? For not finishing what he started?

Leon raised an eyebrow at his musings. So that meant he wanted to…? He did feel a certain longing, but was it for Cloud, or…?

Black gloved thumbs hooked themselves on the many belts around his waist. He couldn't help but ask himself why. Why he had let the blonde kiss him in the first place, why he had kissed him back, why he had let Cloud…

He let out an involuntary shudder at the thought. Leon could still feel the small body under his hands, his mouth on the other mouth, the breathing, Cloud's tongue, hands, taste, smell, feel…

"Stop it," he told himself, shaking his head.

A pang of guilt his him hard, causing him to wince. Guilty for what?

No… clearly someone was making him feel guilty, and it wasn't Cloud…

Again he shook his head, no, those days are over and done with, how could he betray what he never even had? But now, the only person he could focus his thoughts on was…

Leon's head snapped towards the sound of hurried footsteps approaching him, pulling the gunblade from its flimsy strap on a belt, ready to strike at ready.

"Leon!!"

"Oh, it's you."

The brunette put his weapon away as a form draped head-to-toe in pink collided with him. Instinctively he stiffened up as the girl's thin arms wrapped around his waist, Aerith burying her head in his chest. "…what's wrong?" he asked, his face hardening at the unexpected embrace.

For the time, Aerith continued to cry. Oh, she hated Sephiroth… she _hated_ him. He took everything away from her, and she thought - _hoped_ - he was truly gone, but now…

"Leon… it's horrible, Leon…" The man only stood there as tears drenched his shirt.

"What happened?" His voice was its normal tone, cold and bored. He didn't want to be rude to her, but he had enough problems of his own to think about, and silently hoped that Aerith's weren't too involved.

But as Aerith told him what had happened, Leon heaved a sigh.

So much for un-involvement.

--------

"Sit down," Cid barked, throwing the Masamune onto the floor.

The leather-clad one sighed, taking a seat on a hard wooden chair set against a dingy white wall. Highwind had led him to what looked like a garage, the stench of oil and metal and cigarette smoke hung in the air heavy enough to choke on. Without saying a word, Sephiroth folded his hands in his lap, waiting for Cid's next question even as the Venus Gospel was once again aimed at his neck.

"The fuck are you _smilin'_ at?!"

"Pardon?" Cid's eyes narrowed. The smile he was unaware of fell from Sephiroth's face as he took on a stoic composure. He thought he saw the older man's blue eyes flicker slightly with recognition, but whatever it was died out quicker than it came.

"Why the _fuck_ are you back here you fuckin' _prick_?!" The pilot's words were still as furious as before, but sounded even more menacing now, the deep barks echoing from the front office of Cid's garage.

Sephiroth stared up at the pilot coolly for a moment before answering. "I've only come for Cloud, Highwind, nothing more." He absently gestured around the area with a hand from his lap and said, "this is rather unnecessary; I was honest when I said I mean you no harm."

"Spike don't wanna fuckin' see _you_," the blonde grunted, lighting another cigarette. "And bull_shit_, don't mean no harm my _ass_, fuckin' psycho."

"Highwind, I assure you I am completely sane." He thought he heard Zack snicker jokingly but he had to brush it off - it wasn't time to get angry at the voice in his head. He had bigger things to worry about… like assuring the pilot of his sound mind.

Cid scowled. "I don't fuckin' believe you."

Sephiroth tilted his head, hair slipping elegantly from his shoulder. "I don't suppose I'm able to prove that fact." He paused. "Unless, of course, you prefer Cloud vouch for me. He _is_ here, is he not?"

"I ain't tellin' you _nothin'_," Cid snarled, one hand readjusting his flight goggles, that same one moving to wipe away beads of perspiration from his brow. He absently realized that the room was rather hot, but Cid definitely wasn't about to move from his spot to open a window.

"Why then," Sephiroth started, "did you bring me here if you were unwilling to answer my questions?"

Cid blinked.

"Because, fucker, _you_ gotta answer _mine_!"

"So ask them." The younger man pursed his lips and stated, "I have already told you my true purpose for being here." Cid opened his mouth to speak, but Sephiroth cut him off.

"Hades resurrected me, before you start. He mentioned Cloud, stating he had an obligation to fulfill but was distracted. I was sent to a place called Hollow Bastion, traveled quite a ways, and this is simply the end of my search." He raised a delicate eyebrow. "Rather, near the end of it. The final task is finding Cloud."

"I fuckin' told you, Spikey don't wanna fuckin' see _you_," Cid growled. He pulled a new cigarette from his pack, lighting it from his old one before tossing the butt to the stained concrete floor and stamping it out.

"How little you know," Sephiroth sighed quietly, lowering his eyes. Suddenly a corner of the room seemed very interesting to him…

Cid made a face as he looked where the ex-General was, finding nothing, and looked back warily at Sephiroth. "You think I'm fuckin' stupid?"

Sephiroth shook his head. "No. Simply ignorant."

"So you _are_ callin' me stupid!!" Cid snarled.

"Stupidity and ignorance are completely different concepts, Highwind. Ignorance meaning you lack the necessary facts." Aqua eyes looked into angry blue once more. Sephiroth shook his head slowly, a silver eyebrow arched delicately. "He never told you, did he? Cloud, I mean."

For once, Cid seemed interested - even if it _was_ just slightly. "…tell me _what_?"

Sephiroth let another sigh slip from his lips, sad and tired. "No… of course he didn't. He knew what you, as well as the rest of his companions, would sorely judge him if he had. Except, perhaps, for Valentine…"

"Don't fuckin' talk about _Vin_." Sephiroth ignored him.

"Honestly, I don't blame Cloud. Had I been in his position…"

"Cut the fuckin' shit and _spill it_!"

The former General gave the pilot a small smile, causing Cid's angered expression to switch over to confusion for bare seconds before reverting to anger again.

"Cloud Strife and I… were… lovers. Though the term makes me ill…" Sephiroth paused for a moment to clear his throat. "That was… before. During SOLDIER, when he was a regular."

"Bull. _SHIT_."

Sephiroth let his head drop back, staring at the yellowed plaster ceiling. "Trust me, Highwind, that is a fact."

"You're a fuckin' liar," Cid growled. "Spikey ain't gay, and if he _was_, he wouldn't've fucked _you_."

"Such insolent vulgarity." The silver head shook slowly. "And why do you say that? …homosexuality issues aside."

The pilot narrowed his eyes. "You really fuckin' think I'm that fuckin' gullible. Like the fuckin' _General_ of fuckin' _ShinRa_ would fuckin' fuck a fuckin' _regular_."

Sephiroth blinked at the long string of curses; it had been the most he ever heard out of someone's mouth in such a short time span.

"You didn't even talk to the fuckin' higher-ups when you didn't have to, like I'm gonna believe you'd _fuck_ a _regular_!"

"It wasn't just sex, Highwind, though what I do in my own bed quarters is my business and mine _alone_."

Cid growled deep in his throat, the room nearly rumbling. "Nothin' but a _liar_."

"What would I have to gain by lying?"

"What _wouldn't_ you?"

The ex-General closed his eyes tightly, rubbing at his temples with his thumb and forefinger. No matter where he went he had to deal with situations such as this, and he was tired of it. He couldn't even remember the last time he truly slept or even _eaten_ since his resurrection, so naturally he was quite irritable, and that incessant prodding from the pilot was wearing thin.

"If I had intentions of harming Strife," Sephiroth started, voice an agitated growl, "do you honestly believe I would still be here with you? I'd've disposed of you the moment you approached me."

Finally, Sephiroth's words seemed to sink in. The older man tugged at his goggles and narrowed his eyes, studying the other's face for any signs of sincerity. After a few blessed moments of silence, the blonde spoke again, his tone still harsh but not quite as loud.

"…so you're tellin' me that not only did you fuck Cloud, you fucked 'im when he was a fuckin' _kid_?" Cid snorted derisively. "Not only are you a fuckin' _crazy_ but a fuckin' molester _pedophile_ too. A real fuckin' winner."

Zack's presence stiffened upon hearing the last of the pilot's words, knowing the most likely reaction they would provoke. _/--Oh shit. Don't kill him, Seph…--/_

The silver-haired man hadn't heard his friends message, absolutely livid from what he had just heard. _/How DARE he?! Not only does he insult my sanity, but my morality as well!/_

"Listen to me, _Highwind_. Strife _loved_ me. Do NOT accuse me of such a foul deed. I do admit he was young, and perhaps I was _not_ thinking clearly that first time, but I **_love_**—"

Abruptly Sephiroth stopped, clenching his teeth. He didn't need to tell the man his feelings; he didn't have to justify his actions, either. It was none of Cid's business what he did.

"I've had enough of this," he muttered, the rage ever-present in his system. Unfortunately for Sephiroth, Cid had heard what he said, incredulous as it was to him.

"Cold-hearted bastards like you don't fuckin' _love_. Ain't nothin' but a fuckin' LIAR. Ya know what? I hope Spike fuckin' laughs in your fuckin' face," the pilot chided with a snort. "Nothin' but a fuckin' _delusional_ **_crazy_**!"

Sephiroth bristled. "This conversation is **_quite_** finished."

Cid let out a deep growl.

"Like hell it is."

__

/--…I wish I was dead again…--/

__

------------------

Traverse Town was relatively quiet for that time of day, even Heartless seemed to have avoided their usual hiding places. Not that Cloud would have noticed anyway; his mind was still stuck on that brown-haired warrior clad in leather…

[What the fuck did I do…?]

Cloud brought his knees closer to his chest and heaved a sigh, his clawed hand raking through the tall spikes at the top of his head. His entire being stung with guilt now, constantly reminding him how he had betrayed Sephiroth in those moments with Leon, cursing his conscience for letting his body act before his brain kicked in.

"Stupid…"

__

[Why do you hate yourself for this? It isn't as if Sephiroth is here **with** you. He probably doesn't want you anymore anyway,] an inner voice teased, _[if he did, why hasn't he found you yet, hmm?]_

"Shut up," the blonde groaned, a lock of hair clutched in his fist. "The last thing I need is a devil on my shoulder…"

__

[You know he isn't coming back to you, and you're too weak to find him yourself. You may as well just stay there with Leon…] The voice trailed off before chuckling cruelly.

[Oh, that's right; he doesn't want you either.]

Cloud shook his head, bright blue eyes closing tight. The voice, who - or what - ever it was, was right. He _was_ weak, drained from all the time he had played the hero, and instead Cloud had taken to waiting for his 'knight in shining armor'.

He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand in attempts to sooth the dull throb making its way there.

After a short time of silence from that voice - whom Cloud had deduced was the bad side of his conscience - the blonde dropped the hand from his face, letting his eyes wander towards the abandoned Buster Sword at his side.

[Why did I do this, anyway?] he sighed, resting his cheek on his knee as the clawed hand raked over the athletic tape decorating it. _[Why do I bother to do **any** of this?]_

Cloud's head shot up as a chill zipped down his spine, eyes shooting from side to side as his hand grabbed the hilt of his massive sword. Seeing nothing that could be considered a threat, he lowered his guard. The streets were still nearly empty, and illuminated only by several flickering lampposts which cast deceptive shadows resembling those of Heartless behind them.

"I gotta get out of here," he announced suddenly. Cloud looked around once more, making a face. "Somewhere with people."

Cloud cringed.

[People who aren't Leon…which means Cid's also out… so really, that only leaves Aerith and Yuffie…]

The blonde got up with a groan, cracking his sore back as he did so. Absently he picked up his sword, making his way towards the ninja's home.

Cloud's walk was surprisingly uneventful as well as short. He felt as if there was something off about Traverse Town, but was unable to put his finger on it. The place just seemed so empty lately…

Instead of worrying about it, Cloud chose to continue on walking, head down, eyes fixed on the ground in front of him. Though, he should have been looking up as he neared Yuffie's house - the girl almost slammed the door right into his face.

"Gods, Spikey!" the girl shrieked, clutching her chest dramatically. "Don't stand behind my door like that!!"

"I was just coming to see you," Cloud murmured with a shrug. He shifted uncomfortably as the girl stared blankly at him before standing on tip-toe, thoroughly examining the empty space behind him.

"Sooo… where's Leon at, huh?"

The blonde cringed inwardly, a slight burn creeping to his cheeks. "Uh, he… said he had to go to Cid's for a while," he responded, scratching the back of his head. Satisfied with this, the ninja hopped excitedly, a bright smile on her face.

"So ya came to hang out with your old pal Yuffie? Aww, that's so sweet, Spike." She backed up, inviting him inside with a lavish gesture. "It's just you and me, though, Aerith went out to buy some things a while ago." She put a finger to her chin, drawing her eyebrows together. "Actually a long while ago. Huh."

"You two barely leave this place, but she's still out for supplies whenever I come by," the blonde noted quietly, accepting his usual place on the couch after he rested his sword against the wall. "Why is that?"

Yuffie grumbled at the man's prying, flopping onto the couch next to her old teammate. "We need stuff because we help when the Heartless attack the townspeople." She kicked one leg out in what could be considered a stretch and shrugged. "Happens a lot, and we need all the potions we can get."

"I thought she was avoiding me or something…," Cloud trailed off, making a circling motion with his hand. "She never seems to want to talk to me," he clarified after catching the look on Yuffie's face.

"Don't be a dummy. Why would she do that?"

Cloud looked over at the teenager next to him, an eyebrow raised. "Why not?"

"…you sure can be stupid, Cloud," the girl giggled, poking him in the side.

"Don't do that," he grunted, smacking her hand away. "What are you talking about?"

"So how is it living with Leon?" she asked, seemingly oblivious to Cloud's earlier question. Once more Cloud blushed, turning his head to the side.

__

[…how the hell am I supposed to ask her if I can stay here for a while…? How could I **possibly** explain that?!]

"Uh… yeah… about that…"

[Fuck it, I can stay in the Hotel. If there's no rooms, I'll sleep in the alley.]

"…it's going fine."

"I think Leon really likes ya. You get along with him pretty good," she added cheerfully, slapping him on the shoulder.

__

[…not anymore…] "…oh?"

Yuffie nodded. "Yep! I don't think he's even talked to _me_ as much as he's talked to you." She stopped, blowing a raspberry at him. "Probably because you're a _guy_. Hmph."

Cloud blinked, fixing his gaze on the wall across from him. "…what do you mean by that…?"

"Y'know, guys always get along better with other guys and stuff," she paused to look at him and shook her head. "What do you guys talk about, anyway? You're both so quiet. What is it, girls? You talk about girls, don't you… I knew it. Dirty pervs."

He cast her a quizzical sidelong glance, one eyebrow raised. "You really think that's all guys talk about?"

Yuffie shrugged. "I dunno, maybe. It just seems like something _you'd_ do."

__

[If only she knew…] "…right, so in your eyes, I'm the typical male stereotype?"

"Sure, you _are_ a hero, aren't you?"

Cloud rolled his eyes and was about to respond when the Cetra slammed through the door, swinging it back hard enough to crack the plaster behind the knob. She grabbed Yuffie's arm forcefully, pulling her off of her perch and dragging her into her bedroom.

"Urk!" the ninja exclaimed incomprehensibly, dragging like a ragdoll behind Aerith. "What's **_wrong_**?!"

"Aerith, what are you—?" Cloud started, confusion apparent on his face.

"Stay there, girl talk," she interrupted, storming down the small hallway before pulling the door to her room tightly shut.

Cloud watched the display uneasily before he moved forward and stood close to Aerith's bedroom door. The two girls were whispering harshly, but he could easily hear the entire conversation due to the Mako enhancements. Generally, eavesdropping was something he never approved of, but to see Aerith look so frantic had worried him…

"Yuffie!! What are we supposed to do?!"

"I dunno! Man, I don't believe this…" A pause. "Are you _sure_?"

"Of course! You'd have to be blind not to notice that… that…" Aerith's voice was hushed, and the blonde man assumed she was crying.

"Aerith… c'mon, now…" Cloud heard a faint rustling sound. "It'll be okay…"

"No, Yuffie, it won't…," the flower girl sniffed loudly. "We…," her voice got quieter, and the blonde carefully stepped closer to the door to listen. "We can't tell Cloud."

"But… doesn't he have a right to know?"

__

[Know **what**?]

"No, no he doesn't… he _can't_ know, Yuffie."

"You think so?"

"Yes! How would you feel if your…" Aerith paused, lowering her voice. "Your… _you know_… was out to get you?"

There was another halt in the conversation, most likely from Yuffie's end. "I thought he already knew that?"

"But now it's _definite_, and I don't want Cloud…," she stopped again. "I just _don't _want Cloud to get _hurt_."

Cloud clenched his fists, but continued listening. _[Aerith, you… LIAR… you KNOW he wouldn't… I **told** you…]_

"Cloud can take care of himself, though… this happened before…"

"That's true… but… no. We _can't_. We'd… put everyone in danger."

"Sora can help him, if worse comes to worse…"

"We _can't let him **know**_!" Aerith's voice rose angrily. "Cloud can _NOT _know _he'_s _here_!"

__

[That's… enough…]

Cloud's clawed hand moved quickly, jerking the door open with a snap. Yuffie abruptly pulled herself to kneel on the bed with the Conformer drawn, ready to strike at the intruder. The look on her face, though, was one of complete surprise and fear, and Aerith was frightened as well.

The blonde fighter's face was bright red, jaw clamped shut, glowing blue eyes blazing with anger. His nostrils flared as he tried to control his angered breathing. He lifted up a hand to stop Aerith as she began to stutter, eyes wide.

"Aerith, _don't_. I do _NOT_ need you to try and _protect _me," he spat bitterly. "You _knew_. You fucking _knew_ and you _still_ act like the innocent one. You _KNOW_ what I've been through with this…"

Cloud was unaware he was advancing on the flower girl until he was inches from her face, and continued. "How can you… did you even _think _that I _wanted_ to see him again?! Wait. Yes you **_did_**. You _ALWAYS_ knew about it. _Fuck_, I even_ told_ you when I first _got_ here!! What are you trying to **_do_**, Aerith?"

Yuffie blinked questioningly, but stayed silent.

"I'm… I'm not… trying…"

"STOP. I am _not_ finished."

"Cloud, if you would stop _yell_—"

"What did I just say?! _Don't_. **_Talk_**. I do _not_ want to hear your voice right now. Just _listen_ to **_me_ **for once." He lifted a hand and jabbed a finger at Aerith's breastbone. "I do _not_ want you to protect me. I know you're scared of him. I **_know_ **you are. But I've _told_ you that wasn't _him_ who did it. Jenova is _dead_, Aerith. _She _died when I killed _him_." He took a deep breath.

"I know you're scared, but I'm _not_, so would you just _please_ stop trying to protect me…"

She hung her head and clasped her dainty hands behind her back, frowning. "I don't want to lose you, Cloud."

The blonde raked his clawed hand through his spiked hair roughly. "You won't lose me. Seph _wouldn't hurt me_."

"But he _HAS_… and…," she took a deep, shaky breath. "…I didn't mean it that way…" Crystalline tears slid from her lashes as she closed her eyes.

"Then what **_do _**you mean?"

The flower shook her head, dropping her hands to her sides in defeat. She turned to face Cloud, lower lip trembling, voice shaky and filled with tears. "You know what I'm talking about…"

The blonde shook his head slowly. "No, I don't, Aerith."

"How…" Aerith shook her head again, sighing heavily. Her eyes narrowed slightly, eyebrows drawn together, and gave Cloud a look of not-quite subtle disbelief. "How is that _possible_?"

"She's in LOVE with you, you… you _clod_!!" Yuffie blurted out, coming out of her daze, pointing a finger at the blonde.

Cloud looked towards the ninja then back to Aerith, her cheeks stained with tears. "_That's _why you didn't want to tell me about Seph…?" the blonde asked, placidly.

Aerith nodded and whispered, "yes, Cloud." She gestured futilely before clasping her hands in front of her.

"And why you…"

The blonde man turned away from the two girls then and grunted. He slipped onto Aerith's plush couch unceremoniously, his hands on his face. The Cetra bit her bottom lip, casting a pleading look at Yuffie, to which the younger girl shrugged, making a face. It didn't look like Cloud wanted to talk to them for a while, but the girls refused to leave the room, even though just the simple act of talking to _each other _seemed like it would anger Cloud even more.

A few minutes passed and the warrior hadn't moved, with the exception of the rise and fall of his chest. Suddenly, the ninja girl poked Aerith in the side, startling her.

__

'What?', the pink-clad girl mouthed.

'Go talk to him!'

'No, he's angry…'

__

'At least see if he's alive of not!' Aerith cocked her head at Yuffie and pointed to the man's chest. _'Yeah, yeah.'_

"Aerith?" Cloud broke in weakly. The girl stepped forward slowly.

"Yes, Cloud…?"

"Is it true…?"

The flower girl blinked a bit at Cloud's question. After a moment of silence, she nodded, even though he wouldn't see the gesticulation. "Yes, Cloud, I love you. I am _in_ love with you."

"No… not that… that wasn't what I _meant_…," he murmured, biting a knuckle. The blonde stood up, his palm resting on his forehead. He paced back and forth as he spoke, hip guard clanking slightly against numerous belt buckles.

"Is it true that he's _back_? That he's… **_here_**?" Cloud didn't pause to allow the girl to answer. "Is it _true_ that you're so _selfish_… why don't you want me to be _happy_, Aerith…?"

The flower girl's expression grew sadder at the same time it turned cold. Her normally sparkling emerald eyes darkened angrily as his spiteful words finally sunk in. "…_selfish_?!"

Yuffie's big, brown eyes widened considerably as she shrank down, wishing to disappear. "Oh boy…" Her words went unheeded.

"Yeah, **_selfish_**." He shook his head and threw his arms out. "Wanted to protect me, she said," he muttered skyward. "You didn't want to tellme about **_my_ **Sephirothbecause of _your_ want and your… _needs_."

He didn't notice the ninja girl's surprise at his words, startled by Cloud's revelation. She hadn't known anything at _all_ about how the blonde felt for Sephiroth, but now she knew why Aerith was adamant about not telling the blonde about who she had seen…

"I could've seen him again, Aerith. Now… now he's probably long gone because of _you_."

Aerith stomped over to where Cloud was standing. Her face burned bright red, furious with his accusation. "You _bastard_!" she spat. Without warning, she lifted her arm and slapped the man across the face with all the might her petite frame could muster. The two others were in shock.

"_You_ should talk about _selfish_! How _dare_you accuse _me_ of acting like that! I didn't want to tell you because I _know _you, Cloud! You'd _kill _yourself trying to find him!"

"That was my point _in the **first **place_!! That's what I signed the CONTRACT FOR!!" Cloud yelled back at her. "I'd rather be dead right now than _suffering_ like I am!!"

"Then, maybe you _should _have diedbecause you're too **_stupid_ **to realize that _murderer _does _not _deserve you, when _I_ **_do_**!" Aerith shouted, immediately clapping her hands over her mouth. Cloud gaped at her, slack-jawed, amazed at the girl's outburst.

Yuffie's head was swimming and she nearly fainted, only regaining control as Aerith choked out a sob, her entire body quaking. The ninja slid off the bed and wrapped a slender arm around the other girl's shoulders, glaring at Cloud. "Aerith…"

Cloud shook his head. "No. Don't… start this shit with me, Aerith. He was there _way_ before you came into the picture. _Way_ before… and…"

The blonde man then turned slowly and stormed out of the small house, slamming the door so hard it nearly shattered, leaving the flower girl and Yuffie by themselves with the sounds of sobbing in the air.

Outside, Cloud looked around hastily for any sign of his lost Light. His face stung from Aerith's assault, guilt and betrayal both surging in his heart. A croaked sob passed his lips as he fell to his knees.

__

[When did I get like this?! How come now it's so fucking HARD?!]

He yelled out Sephiroth's name, pounding his fists on the pavement. Cloud was too tired to go on, mentally strained from memories of the past six years rushing through his head like waves. Thoughts of Zack and Sephiroth, how he had seen them both die right before his eyes… the latter, his _love_, **_his _**Sephiroth, by Cloud's _own hands_.

__

[…Seph…]

Tears streamed down red cheeks as he sobbed, head down low, until hard heels from a pair of boots crunching on the ground sounded, someone approaching him from behind. A familiar voice rang out, shaming the blonde for being found in that condition.

"…Cloud?"

----------------------

A/N: Chapter slightly revised 7/11/04. ADDED 200 WORDS OMFG WOW.

Whoo, drama. I don't exactly like writing drama. But I like writing Cid. Yes I do. He's so moody! And, sadly, he and I both have basically the same potty mouth -.-;


	14. Part Thirteen

**__**

WARNING: …FFVII spoilers incorporated with fake stuff…?

****

Part Thirteen

__

-You're just a fuck-up,  
I'm just a fuck-up,  
We're just two fuck-ups,  
At least we're fucked-up together.  
-"Beckoned", Coal Chamber-  
------------------

Even with all the questions Cid had blasted towards the other man, it had been too long since Sephiroth had spoken. Cid was more than irritated at that fact and let the other man know it, even though it seemed as if Sephiroth wasn't listening at all. In fact, the man looked like he was arguing with himself, rolling his eyes impetuously once in a while, or a frown appearing on his face before an inevitable grunt. But Cid himself figured he looked no better than the other man as he absently paced the floor of the office, muttering obscenities.

Despite all logic screaming in his ears, the pilot couldn't help but note that Sephiroth, despite his stubborn refusal to answer anything more Cid demanded, did appear to have at least _one_ shred of sanity in him. The ex-General hadn't razed Traverse Town yet nor had he even attempted to retrieve his precious sword…

…or say anything which contained the words 'Mother', 'puppet', or even that stupid 'mwa ha ha' Cid hated so much.

The most surprising of all, though, was the fact that Sephiroth had actually obeyed his orders, which, Cid deduced, could only mean two things; either Sephiroth really _was_ sane and really did meant no harm to anyone, or he was just a very convincing liar. Cid didn't want to hope for the former just yet; after all, the silver-haired man always _was_ a gigantic loon.

"…an' all ya want is to see Spike?" Cid asked, breaking the ex-General from some sort of reverie.

Little did he know that Sephiroth was arguing with Zack about the merits of _not_ just teleporting out of there and finding Cloud. How he ended up against the suggestion was beyond him, but decided to go with his better judgment. Zack always had been impatient to a fault.

Sephiroth nodded slowly. "That is _all_ I've come here for."

"This is fuckin' ridiculous…," the pilot muttered, more to himself than anyone.

Cid heard a commotion outside of his office, coming closer. "CID!!!"

The pilot thrust the Venus Gospel to Sephiroth's throat as the door flew open, almost surprised his reflexes were still reliable after all those years.

"CID, WHERE…are…"

--------

Leon stood silent after Aerith left, her tears finished falling, consequently leaving his shirt soaking wet. The gunblade wielder frowned, mulling over what the girl had told him. He could see why she had been upset over it, and Leon had to admit he wasn't too thrilled of this new situation either.

He sighed, wondering which person needed him the most at that moment. Cid was by himself with someone Aerith bluntly stated was a madman, and the other one…

Leon started off, fists clenched, and began to look for the more important of the two.

--------

"…this doesn't make any sense…"

"I know… it all seems so…" Aerith wrung her hands together in frustration. "So…"

"…completely fucked-up?" the ninja supplied, rubbing her friend's back soothingly.

Aerith managed a small, sad smile. "I suppose that's pretty accurate."

Yuffie bit her lip and frowned. The entire situation was so unreal to her, so _impossible_, yet she couldn't shake the disturbing feeling that it _did_ make sense; on some level, at least.Cloud had let the pieces fall into place for her, with his revelation… but how, _how_ could he still feel for Sephiroth? After all he did, what he _tried_ to do?

"…it always bugged me how he didn't cry when Sephy - erm, Sephiroth… killed you… and how he was always so… I dunno…," Yuffie shrugged, crossing her arms. "…y'know… reluctant, sometimes, to admit Sephiroth was an enemy… even afterwards…"

The Wutaian frowned. "And I did kinda wonder why he always sounded so… nostalgic," the ninja paused, studying Aerith's face to see if her word was the right one, "when he said his name, and stuff…"

"Yes…" The Cetra had turned her head to stare at the wall. She knew how passive Cloud reacted towards her death, saw it all as she melded with the Lifestream. "Yes, I know, but… I'd rather not think about that, Yuffie… please."

"Yeah, okay…" Yuffie stopped, letting out a huff. "Man…"

The girls sat in silence for a while, both drowning in their own thoughts. And even though Aerith had known about Cloud - the ability to know things due to her connection with the Planet, as a Cetra - it still hurt to be cast aside - and for a murderer who was _supposed_ to be gone, the worlds having one less evil…

But he had been resurrected, just as she had. It wasn't fair, for them _both_ to be brought back, both wanting - no, _needing_ - the same person after all this time. Aerith couldn't shake the despair from the fact that she had lost Cloud, without ever having an actual chance…

"Hey, c'mon," Yuffie hugged the other girl again, "the Great Ninja Yuffie'll get 'im back for ya!"

Aerith shook her head, taking in a ragged breath. "No, you can't… _I_ can't. He was Sephiroth's from the start…"

--------

Cloud shook his head, swiping at his eyes with the back of his hand. "Leave me alone…"

The newcomer took a few steps closer, boots clacking on the cobblestone street. "…Cloud…"

"Just… fucking… go _away_."

"…look, Cloud… we need to talk. I _know_—"

"Leon, just… don't. _Don't_." The blonde buried his face in his arms.

[Useless. Fucking **helpless**. Crying like this… get off your ass, Strife, and DO something… don't just sit here, crying in front of **Leon**. Wasn't earlier humiliating **enough**?]

"Leave me _alone_…"

The gunblade wielder sighed and moved forward, crouching beside Cloud. "I… Cloud. Why… why are you crying?" Leon asked. He resisted the urge to lift the other man's face, to wipe away his tears, instead placing a hand gently on the other man's arm. The blonde rolled his shoulders, but the hand stayed put. With an uncharacteristically soft voice, he questioned, "what happened?"

Cloud shook his head again, sniffling as he wiped his nose. He felt stupid, being so _emotional_. But he was just so _tired_ of it all, his cumulated problems and derisive thoughts pounding down on him mercilessly. He was fast approaching his ultimate breaking point. "_Nothing_."

"Does this have to do with… me," Leon swallowed the lump in his throat, "or… with that man…?"

The blonde whirled his head towards Leon, a pained expression in his face. "**_Why_**, did _you_ see him _too_? Did you _TALK_ to him?! Where **_was_** he?!" Cloud demanded, a stray tear sliding down a childish cheek.

The scarred one frowned at the intensity of the other man's eyes. Leon bit his lip, weighing the pros and cons of telling Cloud what he knew, and the potential consequences. He lowered his head and sighed in resignation, chunky pieces of soft brown hair falling into his eyes.

"…Aerith told me Cid detained him."

"Cid _what_?!" Cloud shrieked, flinging the older man's hand off his shoulder. "He… he _what_? **_Why_**?! _Fuck_, Leon, why didn't you tell me **_sooner_**?!"

The brunette blinked and stood, folding his strong arms silently over his chest, expression deadly serious. He had just told Cloud what he knew, what could get him into _deep_ shit with _everyone_, and Cloud had the audacity to _yell_ at him, to throw his reluctant kindness away without any thanks?!

"I suppose because you _conveniently_ forgot to mention this man - who I'm _assuming_ is your supposed '_Light_', due to how you're acting - was your old **_enemy_**," Leon stated coldly, voice dripping with sarcasm. "And an _extremely _serious threat, at that."

"They… they said…"

"We can't exactly have _mass murderers_ running free in this town, Cloud, the Heartless are bad enough."

Cloud growled, hands finding their way to his temples. "Oh, gods," he moaned, shaking his head. "They told… Aerith, you fucking lying _bitch_…"

Leon continued ranting, seemingly oblivious to the blonde. "But you know what… if you want to die, that's your _own_ goddamn problem." The ex-SeeD turned to leave. "…what_ever_."

"Leon, he… I don't… _dammit_… Leon, listen to me…"

Reluctantly, the older man waited, Cloud staring at his back. "What?" he bit out, sounding more than slightly irritated.

"They… really don't know… about him, or me…" The blonde frowned.

Leon shifted and set his greyish eyes on the smaller man. "So he _wasn't_, then? Are you trying to convince me Aerith _lied_?" Leon snorted. "Don't bullshit me, Strife."

"He… was, but he… it's just… complicated." Cloud swallowed thickly, sighing. "She probably didn't tell you about Jenova, or anything… if so, then not the whole story…"

"So, what? She left things out on purpose?"

Cloud shrugged. "It's possible…"

The gunblade wielder scoffed. "Why the hell would she do that?"

"…jealousy…"

"Leaving out vital information because of a grudge. That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard, Strife."

Cloud caught the other man's eyes with his own. "Maybe you think so, but it's a very real motive." He looked away, lowering his head. "Please tell me where he is… Squall…"

The brunette studied his younger friend critically. Cloud was obviously hurting; the blonde's voice was _so_ sad, in a state even far beyond depression. His entire body language spoke of it as well, of a deep fatigue and resignation. If he didn't reach his Light soon…

Leon sighed, shaking his head in defeat. "He's in First… back at the Gummi shop, most likely," he answered finally, after a long, careful deliberation. Maybe it was for the best…

Cloud got up suddenly and bolted straight to First, leaving nothing but a blur and heavy footfalls. Rudely the blonde shoved aside all manners of Traverse Town residents, refugees from other worlds, pedestrian inhabitants… even several children who just happened to be playing in his way. Cloud's feet barely touched the ground as he practically flew to Cid's, Leon hot on his trail.

"Cloud! Stop!"

Cloud, however, paid no heed to the brunette's demand, only ran faster, lack of oxygen burning in his lungs. He darted up the steps in First District three at a time, slamming the door of the Gummi Garage open, one hinge torn from the wall.

"CID!!!"

There was still no sign of the older man anywhere. _[The office…]_

"CID, WHERE…are…," Cloud started as he burst through the door. He stopped abruptly as he saw the gruff blonde pilot standing before a silver-haired man sitting politely in a chair, hands folded in his lap, calm even with the Venus Gospel at his throat. Cid's head snapped back towards the door, a deep scowl etched into his face.

"Spike, look, this dirty fucker's _back_!" he shouted, eyes narrowed dangerously.

Cloud shook his head and licked his lips, mouth impossibly dry. "It's true… shit… Seph… gods, Seph, Seph, Seph…," he murmured. His legs felt like jelly beneath him as he quivered, from both overexertion and the ability to see his Light once more; the one he had worked so hard and sacrificed so much for.

And Sephiroth looked _sane_. He looked sane, and healthy, albeit a tad paler than he once was, but still in top form. Death and resurrection hadn't tarnished his ethereal beauty, the grace of which he held himself, nor his powerful aura of strength and confidence.

Cloud was awed by his mere appearance, eyes stuck fast to that face, that beautiful face, those feline eyes, strong features… Sephiroth's hair, so soft to touch, that shimmering silver, flowing like liquid down his back…

He looked every bit as perfect as Cloud remembered. So much like a god, or a fallen angel.

And Cloud wanted to look away in shame. _[I don't even have the right to see him again…how… how did I **ever**… DO that to him…?]_

Sephiroth gazed longingly at his - **_his_** - small blonde, aqua eyes gleaming with tears of happiness he could never, _ever_ spill. His whole experience up 'til then had been so surreal, meeting a boy who seemed to be _himself_, and Zack, _Zackary_ was with him, in a sense… Sephiroth, resurrected by a foul god, unwittingly given another chance to be _happy_…

Instead he sat, quietly acknowledging Cloud's presence with his eyes and a slight smile, making no attempt to move. Even though he desired to tell Cloud all the things he needed to say, all the apologies the younger man needed to hear, or to kiss, touch that gorgeous face and lithe body…

But the _last_ thing Sephiroth was was stupid, and he was definitely unwilling to risk what the irrational pilot might do with that… _colorful_… lance.

Leon ran through the doorway mere moments later, nearly ramming into the blonde. He hunched over and braced himself on his knees, chest heaving. Cloud was _inhumanly_ fast. "Fuck, Cloud… _listen_… next… time…," he panted.

"Sephiroth…," Cloud whispered, eyes growing even wider. Sephiroth was real, and back; the blonde whimpered, pressing his knuckle to his own lips. "Gods… Seph."

Leon's head shakily turned to the other man, frowning deeply as he looked between the blonde and the terribly unique - but beautiful, Leon had to admit… - stranger. Could that man really do all the things Aerith proclaimed? He was so… very _astounding_.

The brunette caught his breath finally, wiping sweat from his brow. As he looked up at Cid, he realized that Aerith couldn't have been lying. Leon had never seen the pilot seem so angry - not even towards Yuffie after she 'accidentally' smashed his goggles prior to that Gummi incident.

Cloud stepped forward, reaching a hand out before he collapsed to his knees, kneeling in front of his silver-haired god. "Sephiroth…" He placed his hand gently on the other man's cheek. "Is it _really_… **_you_**…?" he asked, his hand reaching back to touch the man's soft silver hair.

Sephiroth gave him a small nod. _/I want to touch him back…/_

/--So why don't you?--/

"What the _FUCK _are you **_DOING_**?!" the pilot bellowed, threatening to thrust the lance into Sephiroth's neck. "He's the goddamn **_enemy_**, Spikey, don't fuckin' caress the prick's _cheek_, fuckin' whip out that sword of yours and **_Omnislash _**the rotten _bastard_!!"

__

/That's why./

Cloud whirled his head around, glaring coldly at the pilot.

"Get. Out.," he snarled, gritting his teeth.

Cid's hard expression faltered as he lowered the Venus Gospel, giving Cloud a look surpassing that of confusion, the cigarette slipping from his lips. He absently scratched the back of his neck and eyed Sephiroth. "You… so you… wha…"

"I told you the truth, Highwind."

"…the _fuck_…?"

Leon stepped forward, taking Cid by the shoulder. "Come on, let's go…" The pilot complied and followed, eyes fixed on Sephiroth the entire time.

"…you _touch_ him, I'll cut your **_fucking_** _head_ off," Cid growled menacingly, the point of the Venus Gospel again aimed at the silver-haired man. Leon easily shuffled him out the door, closing it behind them.

Cloud trained his eyes back on Sephiroth, looking him up and down in renewed disbelief. "Gods, Seph," he managed, dropping his head into the man's lap, one arm wrapped around his waist, the other on the side of Sephiroth's leg. "I missed you so much," he whispered, tears slipping from his eyes.

"Shh…," Sephiroth cooed, stroking the blonde's spiked hair. "Don't cry, Cloud. It's alright now."

"I can't… I just can't… gods…"

Sephiroth brushed the blonde's cheek, wiping away free-flowing tears. "Cloud…"

The older man tilted Cloud's chin up, leaning down to place a loving, unhurried kiss on his lips. He pulled away slowly, the blonde's fingers twined in silver hair. "You don't have to grieve anymore, I promise you," he whispered, lips brushing the corner of Cloud's mouth. "…when it comes to me, you will never," he stopped to kiss the other man again, "ever, feel pain again."

Zack had the urge to say something about sugar and cavities, but smartly held his tongue. Even though he was technically a part of the reunion - to a point - he still felt as if he was intruding, and a comment like that - no matter _how _much in jest - would undeniably be less than welcome.

"Seph, all this time…" Cloud frowned and gave a mournful laugh. "All this time, I've been waiting, and now that I've found you… I don't… I don't know what to say…"

The silver-haired man rested his forehead against Cloud's, one hand caressing the nape of his neck. "It's alright. I understand this is a lot to handle, and there's no need to rush."

Again Cloud buried his face in Sephiroth's lap and started to sob. "I'm so _tired_, Seph…"

"Shh…" Sephiroth slid his other hand down the mercenary's back, rubbing it in small circles. He stopped as it brushed against a rather large growth protruding from the other man's left shoulder blade. Immediately he felt Cloud's entire body stiffen as a hand dug into his leather-clad thigh.

"…what's this?"

The blonde choked out another sob, shaking his head. "I don't… I don't want… don't…" Cloud quivered violently.

"Calm down…"

"…you can't want me now, Seph… I'm hideous…," he let out a ragged sigh, groaning. "I'm… a monster…"

__

/--…always the ball of angst, Spike…--/ Zack sighed.

__

/**Stop** it./ "You, of all people, deserve the least to be called a monster," the ex-General said, his voice kind and soothing.

Cloud merely shook his head.

"What is it?" Sephiroth asked softly, hand still brushing over the protrusion.

"…it's a… _wing_. A fucking _wing_… and I'm hideous," the blonde croaked. Sephiroth chuckled quietly and shook his head, tugging the man's cape.

"If you think having a wing is hideous," he replied, "then I must be as well, in your eyes."

Cloud looked up, eyebrows furrowed. "Wha?" His gaze trailed upwards and into the other man's eyes. Sephiroth was smirking. "What are you…?" Then he saw it.

A large, flapping angel's wing, covered in shiny, bluish-black feathers.

__

/--C'mon, say it, you **know** you want to!--/

Sephiroth's smirk deepened. Zack was right - he _did_ want to.

"I showed you mine, now show me yours."

The blonde blinked, eyebrows twitching, mouth agape. "Wh…?" Sephiroth smiled thinly, tilting his head.

"Well?" He patted Cloud's back again to garner a response.

"So you really _are_ my other half…," the mercenary whispered, reaching up to touch the feathers.

Sephiroth raised his eyebrow. "You're surprised by this…?"

"And that's why he did it…," Cloud said softly, more to himself than anything. "He said… when he… by the gods…"

"'He'…?" The leather-clad man frowned as the vacant look on the other's face. "Cloud?"

__

/--Just let him talk, Seph…--/

/But he sounds so…/

/--I know, believe me.--/

"I was powerless, I couldn't… I couldn't prevent it," he sighed. "It was my fault… that I became the hero… I made you the… villain."

Sephiroth's frown deepened. "_Cloud_?" He shook the blonde softly, but the sapphire eyes stayed transfixed and haunted.

"Because I loved you, he… cursed me with this…"

"Cloud, what are you talking about?"

"That was my sin, Sephiroth." Cloud sighed and shook his head. "When we first met Vincent…"

"Vincent Valentine… former Turk…"

Cloud nodded. "Yeah. And just another one of Hojo's specimens…"

"Gods, please don't mention that name," the silver-haired man grumbled in disgust.

"…sorry. Well, when we first met Vincent, he told us this; I remember it exactly, only because I related to it…" Cloud paused, taking a deep breath. "'I let the one I loved, the one I respected most, face the worst,' and that was his sin." He looked up into Sephiroth's eyes and shook his head. "He was talking about a woman, Lucrecia, and consequently… you, too."

Sephiroth drew his eyebrows together. "I beg your pardon?"

The blonde tilted his head. "You didn't pick this little tidbit from my brain?"

"No."

A lump formed in Cloud's throat as he did his best to swallow it down. "I should've guessed she wouldn't have let you. Jenova," he clarified before Sephiroth could ask. "You know Jenova wasn't your real mother, don't you?"

"A child of an alien over 2000 years old? I should hope not."

Cloud chuckled quietly, but sobered soon after. "Yeah… anyway; this woman, Lucrecia, was Vin's true love… she also happened to work with Professor Gast and Hojo. When they discovered Jenova and what she was - or what they _thought_ she was -, well… you know that part."

"Yes, with SOLDIERs."

"Exactly. Vincent said Lucrecia was pregnant, and Hojo… Hojo and Gast injected _her_ with Jenova cells…" He paused. "I'm sure it was Hojo who convinced Gast to do it."

Sephiroth nodded. "Yes, Gast was a brilliant man, when on his own. That sort of madcap idea could only come from outside influence."

"You weren't just… _produced_, Sephiroth," Cloud suddenly announced as he stood up.

"…but those notes—"

"No. I think they were false ones, planted there. Probably by Hojo, so you would…," the blonde trailed off, making circles with his hand.

The ex-General shook his head, placing his palm on his forehead. "Cloud…"

"…so you would be more susceptible to Jenova's lies, and he wanted you to become a god. He was a madman, and all _she_ did was lead _him_ on, too…"

Cloud scowled. "He was _happy_ when you summoned Meteor, he was fucking _happy_ that you were going to destroy the entire Planet. He _wanted_ you to, was going to _help_ you if we didn't stop him. He was proud of all of it, too, thought his experiment was a _success_. Gods, he even injected himself with goddamn Jenova cells… his precious _fucking_ **_specimen_**…"

"…Cloud, please," Sephiroth murmured, mind abuzz. "Just let me take this all in…"

The mercenary took Sephiroth's hands in his own. "I-I'm sorry. I'm not blaming you… I got off-track," Cloud frowned, cursing his stupidity. "What I wanted to tell you is… _you_ were Lucrecia's child."

"…Valentine's progeny?" Cloud blinked. "…his offspring, Strife."

"Oh…" The blonde bit his lip and started to pace. "That's another thing; we don't know. You're either _his_ son… or…"

Sephiroth closed his eyes tightly. _/…please, say anyone else, **anyone** else but him…/_ He took a deep breath before he asked, "…or?"

"Or… Hojo's."

With that said, Cloud did his best to sit on the other man's lap, wrapping strong arms around the other man's shoulders. He knew the possibility of the mad scientist being Sephiroth's father would _not_ have a happy result. Of course it would be downright devastating to Sephiroth to know that he was so _willingly_ offered up to science, dedicated to be _nothing_ but a lifelong experiment by his own flesh and blood.

And it was. The silver-haired man buried his face in the smaller one's neck in shock, and felt Cloud running his fingers through his hair.

"You started off like any other child, Seph, but they _fucked you over_. Even though Vincent doesn't blame Lucrecia, I do… Vin… he was appalled by the thought of it, human experiments… Lucrecia was with Hojo, too… and I think Vincent knew he could've been your father, Seph…

"He tried to stop her, at least talk some sense into her, but she didn't listen. She was loyal to Hojo… and apparently more than she was to Vincent. Hojo shot him, and she didn't do a damn _thing_, Seph. She stayed with the project, she let that madman experiment on him, willing or not. Then Vincent was locked away, in ShinRa Mansion, and you were born a while after."

Cloud snorted disdainfully. "I guess at that point she finally wised up and ran away from it. But what's beyond me is why she couldn't take you with her…" The blonde felt Sephiroth shaking slightly and held him tighter. "Even though I know she's sorry for what she did, I can't help but blame her…

"But Vincent blames himself. That was his supposed sin: to him, he let Lucrecia do it, even though he didn't just sit idly by…" Cloud frowned, eyes focusing on the ceiling. "…not like I did."

"…what do you mean…?" came the hesitant question, Sephiroth's voice filled with burden.

The blonde made a small noise in the back of his throat. "What I mean is, I couldn't stop you… earlier, I… in the library, I wanted to… but… I couldn't," he paused to take a breath, "I couldn't get through to you, or take away those fucking books… and I didn't let Zack go visit you down there, I… told him not to bother you…" Cloud rested his cheek on Sephiroth's head.

"I know _Zack_ would've been able to make you stop… he was always stronger than me, anyways… but no, you kept reading, and I just kept watching, and waiting, until finally…"

"Cloud, stop," Sephiroth ordered, embracing the blonde tight. "That… wasn't _your_ fault."

"Oh, it was my fault, Seph, it was. I know it was, just like Vincent believes it was his." Cloud sighed heavily, a hand moving to touch the feathers on Sephiroth's wing. "This, though… the transformation, seeing you with this wing… I think understand now, why Vincent and I…," he gestured at his cape and claw, "why I'm… like this."

Sephiroth frowned as Cloud continued, "it wasn't a conscious decision… but I have to show you something." Cloud stood quickly and tore off his cape, letting his batwing extend fully. Sephiroth's eyes widened impossibly.

"Gods, Cloud…," he whispered, running his fingers on the wing from tip to stern.

"Do you see, Sephiroth? Do you see that you are the _angel_, the _innocent_ in all this, and I'm… a _demon_?" Cloud shook his head, lowering his eyes. "Vincent was plagued by a demon, too… and two times, Seph, _two times_ I've seen you as an angel.It has nothing to do with what side _you're_ on, now or ever. It can't. This is because of me, just like _that_ was because of me," the blonde stated, gesturing to Sephiroth's wing.

"Your feathers… when I had to battle you before, they were white, Seph. And now your wing is black, because I had fallen into Darkness. Because we're linked, I took you _with_ me…" The mercenary gestured uselessly. "…and because Vincent and I shared similar tragedy, and feelings, that fucking _uselessness_…"

"Cloud…"

"…maybe, in a way, this could prove that he's your actual father, Seph. That maybe he and I are linked more deeply than just that shared past, but through _you_…" Cloud shook his head. "Vincent was cursed with those monsters by Hojo because he couldn't help Lucrecia… cursed with Chaos…

"With me, well… Hojo cursed me with this everlasting body, this inability to age or die easily… my memory loss, five _years_ of pure torture, to see my best friend _die_ right in _front_ of me, when we were _so close_ to our goal, and Aeris…" At the name, Cloud sighed deeply. "And to have to kill _you_, twice…

"I was cursed, because I couldn't _help_ you. So the punishment for my inability to do anything but be worthless _was_ the fact that I had to kill you… Vincent's punishment, to stay in that fucking coffin for 26 _years_…

"But you… you were _always_ the innocent, Seph. You were cursed by Hojo from the _start_… you never had a chance."

Cloud abruptly turned, biting down hard on a knuckle. The realizations were flying at him too fast, too strong, yet he couldn't help but let them all out like a flood. Doing so put him in pain, _physical_ pain, but he couldn't stop, not when everything came together so _easily_.

"…Cloud."

The blonde spun to see Sephiroth looking at him, his aqua eyes glassed over. He cringed as a single tear slid down the older man's cheek, the simple path tearing straight to Cloud's heart. "Seph, it's true," he said softly, "you didn't do anything, I know you didn't. It was all just an illusionary crime against you…"

Sephiroth was silent for a few moments, no more than that one tear falling. He looked away, sucking in a breath. "I felt… during the battle, I felt a connection… with Valentine. I could never figure it out, but I remember it disturbed me how similar the two of us appeared physically. Our facial structure is nearly identical, though his was more fragile…" The older man paused. "Is he here, do you know? Was he transported to these worlds as well?"

"Honestly, I don't know," Cloud answered, truthfully. "I'm not sure, but… this… I _think_ this is Chaos' wing."

The silver-haired man murmured, "I see. You believe he's dead, then?"

Slowly, Cloud nodded. "Yeah… I think that connection between him and me kicked in, because he _is_ dead. Which means I took Vincent's sins, and his biggest burdens, the ones that made him feel so inhuman… the claw, the monsters in him, though I bear Chaos on the outside instead of Limit Breaks, the claw's just a glove…" He sighed, a hand pressed to his forehead. "And with all that, ultimately, Seph… I've cursed us both."

Sephiroth stood up, wrapping the diminutive blonde in his arms, his cheek resting on top of the man's head. "No, Cloud," he said quietly. "We are not cursed. These are simply battle scars, and they will serve only to make you stronger." He kissed his head before continuing. "You blame yourself - you and Vincent both blame _yourselves_ for the inability to sway the ones you loved.

"But these things are in the past; you cannot change the past, only look forward, to the future. Forget the regrets you hold, Cloud. I assure you there was no way at all for you to keep me from insanity, nor Valentine with Lucrecia.

"This may surprise you, Cloud, but I do believe in Fate. Certain events in life cannot be prevented, no matter how much you believe they can. Life is filled with inevitabilities, though there are few deviations from the path one walks, consequences of actions. Consequences of influence.

"Hojo and Jenova both were extremely influential… and neither one would have allowed deviation from the path they had set for Lucrecia, nor the path for myself. No matter how hard either of you fought, Lucrecia and I would not have swayed. We are powerless until the paths have been walked.

"But you tried. You tried with me, and Vincent with Lucrecia, because you cared. Both of you could not break through, but… it was not your fault you failed. It was not your fault that you both loved.

"Love is not a curse… love is not a sin." Sephiroth bowed his head, holding the blonde tight enough to suffocate. "But know this… I love you, Cloud. I love you so much it _hurts_…"

Blue eyes sparkled, threatening tears. "You've never said that before," the blonde whispered. "I always felt… but I never really knew…," he continued, shaking his head. "I love you too, Seph… so much…"

The ex-General kissed the smaller man's cheek softly and smiled. "I know, Cloud."

A small knock to the door rang out as Leon opened it, poking his head inside. "Strife… Cid wants to see you at Yuffie's." Steely blue eyes shot up towards Sephiroth as the brunette added coldly, "you too. You both have a _lot _of explaining to do."

He stopped, glancing back at Cloud. "…you _owe_ me, _big_ time." With that, Leon shut the door and left.

Cloud bit his lower lip, nearly drawing blood. He looked up into Sephiroth's eyes and grimaced. "I'm… in deep shit, Seph."

The silver-haired ex-General nodded slowly, leaning in to give Cloud a deep, lingering kiss. "Yes. Yes you are." He raised his eyebrow and smirked, patting the hilt of the Masamune. "Do you still have Zack's sword—"

__

/--THE **BUSTER** SWORD!--/

Sephiroth rolled his eyes to himself. "—…the Buster Sword?"

Cloud nodded his reply. "I think I left it out there," he motioned towards what lay beyond the office door. "Why?"

Sephiroth let out a sigh. "Because, I do believe we're going to need it."

----------------------

__

A/N: Chapter revised just a touch on 7/12/04. And I don't believe Vincent is Seph's father anymore due to a friend of mine but dammit, it still works.


	15. Part Fourteen

****

Part Fourteen

__

-He promised I would find a little  
Solace and some piece of mind  
Whatever, just as long as I don't feel so  
Desperate and ravenous  
So weak and powerless  
-"Weak and Powerless", A Perfect Circle-  
------------------

"…'you owe me'?" Sephiroth quoted, eyebrows raised, smirking down at the small blonde in his arms. Both were reluctant to leave the safety of the office, though for separate reasons. Sephiroth wanted to stay simply for the close contact the privacy of the room allowed, where he could hold Cloud as close and as long as he wanted without judgment.

Not that the opinion of the others were of any real importance - only Cloud mattered to him, now.

The blonde shrugged half-heartedly. "He… he just told me where to find you is all…"

"I see. I'll be sure to thank him for what he's done."

Cloud simply mumbled something incomprehensible and squeezed the taller man tightly.

To tell the truth, he was scared. Reluctant as he was to admit, Cloud knew they had to leave at some point to confront what would surely be a torch-carrying mob of his friends after Sephiroth's head. Leon, of course, was the exception, since he didn't know what the silver-haired one had truly done, having heard only the partial story from Cloud's old teammates… but he was still a _rather_ large factor in Cloud's mental distress.

Of course, Cloud was going to tell Sephiroth what had happened between he and Leon - _how_ it had happened, and why - and could only pray that Sephiroth trusted him when promised it would _never_ happen again. He was well aware it wasn't just an itty-bitty issue that could be swept under the mat and be dealt with later, after all was said and done… he needed to let Sephiroth know, and soon. Preferably before the 'meeting'.

At the thought - even though it was a stupid conflict in his mind - Cloud wasn't sure which party he feared seeing the most: pissed off ex-AVALANCHErs, or a possessive, extremely jealous, _infuriated_ former General with that gigantic sword capable of taking down even the largest of enemies in a single slash.

The blonde swallowed hard, clenching both fists in Sephiroth's hair. He was ashamed of himself, every pore of his body practically oozing with guilt. The confession could completely jeopardize everything Cloud had longed for, all his suffering on the Planet done for nothing… not to mention it could very well leave him in ruins - mentally, and a good possibility _physically_, as well.

Cloud could only hope that Sephiroth _wouldn't_ fly off the handle, at least not before he had the chance to explain. And Leon… gods, Leon was an innocent party in this, wasn't he? Cloud came on to _him_… initially, anyway… and Leon wasn't even _attracted_ to him. Sephiroth couldn't blame Leon as well…

But, loathe as Cloud was to say, his silver-haired lover wasn't exactly the easygoing, understanding type.

He knew he needed to tell Sephiroth, though, and soon - that sort of secret had the potential to break him. And Cloud didn't want to be broken, and he didn't want to hide it, to lead Sephiroth to believe that he had been completely faithful - even during Meteor - to him and only him.

Cloud was _Sephiroth's_, simple as that… and he had gone after _Leon_…?

Though, his faithfulness had been - for the most part - secure up until that day. Cloud didn't want to believe that life was so cruel, especially after all he went through. How could Fate bring Sephiroth back to him on that day? The same _exact_ day both he _and_ Leon let their self-control slip…

__

[I can't **really** blame… Leon, though… I did… **technically**… make the first move… then made it more…]

The blonde cringed inwardly. He didn't have the right to be there with Sephiroth, especially not in the man's _arms_; he didn't even deserve to have him back. He killed Sephiroth… twice. He caused the older man pain, deformed them both because of his own foolishness, and - in his mind - he hadn't apologized enough for it at _all_.

And now, _now_ he let his own stupid urges take over for a fleeting moment with another man? A man who had taken him in, truly done _nothing_ more than act _friendly_ toward him?

A _straight_ man, no less.

Without realizing it, the blonde tightened his arms around the other man, mushing his face against Sephiroth's chest.

[How could I DO that to him?! Why am I so fucking STUPID?!]

"…Cloud, stop thinking so hard. You look as if you're about to combust."

A small kiss to blonde spikes broke Cloud out of his lament, blue eyes gazing upward into a fiery aquamarine. The look on Sephiroth's face was that of concern, obviously having sensed his various signs of distress - the way Cloud was gripping his hair, gripping _him_, unaware of his own sighs and half-whimpered sounds of pain as his body shook like a leaf in the wind.

Placing his palm to Cloud's cheek, Sephiroth tilted his head and gave the blonde an imploring gaze."There's something troubling you… so tell me."

"…that's the last thing I wanna do," Cloud murmured, pulling himself out of the angel's embrace, wrapping his arms around his own body. Sephiroth frowned but said nothing, allowing the blonde to continue.

"I need to tell you something you're not going to like," he mumbled, turning his back to the other man.

Sephiroth winced mentally at the blonde's foreboding statement. His mind groaned, unwilling to face what his lover was going to say, but… surely, it would be nothing he couldn't easily dismiss. After all, Cloud had forgiven him for everything he had done to him in the past without question; he even went so far as to take the blame upon himself. And though Sephiroth didn't agree with Cloud's doing so, he had an inkling the blonde would be damn near impossible to convince otherwise.

__

/--…uh… whatever it is, Seph, please don't kill him…,--/ Zack ventured eventually, dead serious.

/Don't worry…/

When it was apparent Cloud wouldn't go on without verbal confirmation, Sephiroth asked quietly, "and that is…?"

"I fooled around with Leon."

Bluntly, without fanfare, no mindless suspense, Cloud just said it. He didn't want to make Sephiroth wait for what must have been so painful to hear, therefore laid it right out on the table. The blonde mentally kicked himself at the suddenness of the statement, despite it all. He decided not to say anything else until the other man heeded the information, and did what he pleased with it.

Needless to say, Cloud was completely frantic at the thought of what any and all possible consequences may be.

"Oh."

…that response… hadn't been expected.

__

/--Seph…?--/

"…'oh'?" Cloud implored quietly. As much as he wanted to look up at the other man, he found he couldn't, at least not until Sephiroth continued.

"…I see." The leather-clad one crossed his arms, tapping his foot on the floor. "Of course… of _course_."

Cloud frowned as he watched Sephiroth murmur to himself, the other man staring at the ground. He was disturbed, to say the least, at Sephiroth's soft tone of voice, devoid of any anger he had been anticipating.

__

/--Sephiroth, talk to me…--/

"…hadn't expected… after all, I mean…"

Pacing, Sephiroth drew his silver eyebrows together, lips pursed as he processed the information. The only sounds in the room were his footfalls and the occasional nonsensical murmur, all of it unsettling.

Try as he did, Zack couldn't get through to him. Sephiroth had let his walls slam up, blocking out any inquiry as to what he was thinking, any plea for him to talk. Zack was sympathetic towards his blonde friend, regardless of what he had done; Sephiroth's silence must have been killing him. Cloud always had a fragile ego, always berated himself for doing even the slightest thing wrong, and for his silence now when Cloud actually… screwed up pretty bad, to say the least… the black-haired entity cringed.

Seconds stretched on for what seemed like hours, Cloud growing more and more uncomfortable by the minute. Sephiroth _still_ hadn't stopped pacing, was _still_ talking to himself, and the blonde was going out of his head. He only heard a few mumbled words, and none of them really made much sense to him. Sephiroth seemed to be agreeing with whatever he was musing on, shown by his nods or murmured affirmations, but wasn't actually saying anything of importance that Cloud could decipher…

The blonde shifted back and forth uneasily before clearing his throat. Way too much time had passed, and warily watching Sephiroth talking to himself grew much too unnerving.

…and, even though Jenova didn't exist anymore - especially not in Traverse Town -, Cloud didn't exactly want to see Sephiroth conversing with phantom voices in his head for much longer.

"Seph, I—"

"Strife, we're _waiting_."

Both men turned to stare at Leon, standing in the doorway, glaring at them.

Cloud groaned. _[…oh, **this** is just **great**.]_

"Leon." Sephiroth tipped his head back, looking down his nose at the man, "we were just talking about you."

The brunette's eyes widened almost imperceptibly in realization. He then narrowed them as he crossed his arms and shrugged, once again absolutely nonchalant.

"Seph, don't…" The blonde stepped forward, placing his hand on the taller man's arm. "Don't, just let me explain…"

Sephiroth coolly regarded Cloud for a moment and turned back to the man in the doorway. "Would you like to join us in our conversation, Leon?" He tilted his head to the side, one eyebrow raised. "The matter does concern you, after all."

"Sephiroth, will you _please_—"

"Cloud," the silver-haired man interrupted, raising a hand to shush him, "I asked Leon a question."

The gunblade wielder snorted, shaking his head. "We don't have the time for this…"

"Oh, believe me, we've all the time in the world."

"_Sephiroth_," the blonde growled, "_listen_ to me!"

Hardened jade eyes shot in the youngest man's direction. "I haven't received an answer." Once more he settled his sights on Leon, the ex-SeeD watching him evenly. "You're being very impolite, Cloud."

"Treating him like a child, how honorable of you," the brunette muttered. Sephiroth held back a sneer.

"Can you just let me _explain_?!" Cloud stood in front of Sephiroth, grabbing his face and forcing the man to focus on him instead of Leon. "You didn't even let me tell you what _happened_, you _don't_ need to get pissed at _him_!"

"Who says I'm 'pissed' at _anyone_?" Sephiroth said, voice completely calm, eyes still set on Leon.

The blonde gave an incredulous snort despite himself. "Because I _know_ you, Seph; this isn't the sort of thing that people like hearing, so it's—"

"To tell the truth," Sephiroth started in a tone which made Cloud bristle, "I hadn't expected you to devote yourself so…" The man gestured, searching for a decent description. "…_blindly_… to me in the first place."

Cloud was stunned, gaping wide-eyed at the silver-haired man. He hadn't expected Sephiroth to say anything like _that_…

While he spoke evenly to start, emotion slipped in towards the end, no matter how Sephiroth had tried to withhold it. The way his jaw was held showed a blatant sign of distress as well, muscles taut underneath his pale skin, something else to betray his feigned indifference. He couldn't show that weakness in front of Leon.

Sephiroth turned his head and shrugged lightly, clenching his fists, and added, "it's no matter."

The blonde bit his lip, not sure if it Sephiroth was simply _acting_ that way or if he truly didn't care.

Even more disconcerting, Sephiroth didn't sound mad yet… at least not truly. His tone was more disappointed and contemplative. It was confusing, and seemed to imply that Cloud's feelings towards the man were misdirected - maybe even so far as unwarranted, possibly unwanted…

He knew the latter was just a stupid fear - of _course_ it was wanted. Sephiroth had been searching for him, hadn't he? And he found him, told Cloud he loved him… granted, the proclamation came prior to the mercenary's confession, but…

Cloud swallowed thickly. "Seph…" The blonde stepped forward, voice quiet, "let me explain…? Before you decide to do anything about… this…" He paused, clearing his throat. "Please? …I love you…"

Sephiroth flicked two fingers in his direction distractedly, caught up in inner musing.

The mercenary sighed, taking the gesture as a response to start. His blue eyes looked over to the doorway to regard Leon, only to find the man had left, and most likely long ago.

Cloud took a deep breath, crossing his arms. "…okay… I don't really know where to start…," the blonde swallowed and licked his lip. "…I guess from the beginning…? I guess…," he mumbled.

"You asked for permission to explain," Sephiroth reminded, obviously annoyed, "so stop sputtering and do it."

Cloud made a pained face, catching the new tone of barely repressed anger in the other man's voice.

Zack sighed, defeated. He wanted to help settle Sephiroth down, but his friend just wasn't listening to him behind his walls, and he didn't want Sephiroth to hurt Cloud… but there was nothing he could do. So, mentally, Zack sat back, helpless, and prayed for both of his friends to settle things… preferably with a positive outcome.

Little did either spiky-heads know, the fury Sephiroth had _wasn't_ directed at the blonde - at least not entirely. Yes, the fact that Cloud admitted he was with someone else hurt, but that was it… Sephiroth was more frustrated that he was unable convince himself it didn't, unaware Leon had already left.

And while the ex-General _was_ mad at Cloud for betraying him, it pissed him off even more to realize that he was so selfish.

He _knew_ it was foolish to expect - or to even consider the mere _possibility_ - that Cloud would forsake anyone else for him. The older man hadn't even been _alive_, not really; and with the way he treated Cloud during Meteor, he was _still_ surprised the blonde loved him like he did.

Sephiroth was disappointed in _himself_ more than Cloud, especially since he really was just as guilty as infidelity. When he kissed Riku, Sephiroth _knew_ Cloud was alive and well. And, as he interpreted what Hades said about the blonde, missed him terribly, to the point of distraction… and that job, the contract. Sephiroth absently noted to ask Cloud about that.

"When I first got here, I didn't have a place to stay," Cloud started, pacing. "And Leon's a friend of my old teammates, so… he took me in. Now, I'm not gonna lie…," he paused, looking up into his lover's aqua eyes, "I _did_ find him attractive… very… and I still _do_, just…" He frowned and reached out to touch the older man's arm, "…just not like you… you're _beautiful_, Seph… and I _love_ you…"

Sephiroth shrugged indifferently. The blonde man mistook the gesture and sighed quietly, pulling his hand back to his side.

"…I kissed him once before, a while ago… but… I didn't…," he mumbled, staring at the floor. "…today, I…" Cloud rolled his hand on his wrist, silently telling himself to go on, wincing. It was growing harder and harder for him to formulate sentences, choosing his words as lightly as he could.

"…did you say '_today_'?"

Cloud felt his chest tighten. His mind fumbled for something - _anything_ to answer with. "I didn't _sleep_ with him, if that's what you're thinking, but… _I_…"

Cloud's tone silently pleaded for Sephiroth to figure it out on his own, too embarrassed and too ashamed to say it himself. Not knowing how much is _too_ much was a problem as well, but his love deserved the absolute truth, no matter how hard it was on him to say it.

"…it was _me_… I fucking… it… I… _he_ didn't…"

"…that's enough…"

"I'm _so **sorry**_, Seph… I… couldn't… _stop_ myself…" The blonde winced, chafing his bare arms. The room was too cold all of a sudden, his gloved digits rubbing over the goosebumps prickling his flesh. "I know that's lame…," Cloud trailed off, deeply ashamed and furious with himself.

"…_fuck_, I can't do anything but _hurt_ you all the _time_…" The blonde snarled abruptly. "I'm just so _fucking_ **_stupid_**! I fucking _hate_ **_me_**!! I—"

Sephiroth cut him off, taking Cloud's face in his leather-bound hands. "_Stop _it, Strife," he growled sharply, words punctuated with a slight jarring. "I _don't_ want to _hear_ this anymore!"

The blonde bit his lip, attempting to quell the tears threatening to spill from his eyes. _[…so that's it, then… it's over… he… he hates me…]_

Hard as he tried to stop them, Cloud felt trails of wetness fall down his cheeks into his cloak. Tearing himself from the other man's hands, Cloud stepped back and fell to his knees, pressing his hands to his eyes.

Nothing hurt as much as that realization. Nothing. He decided that he would rather be forced to kill the insane, Jenova-influenced Sephiroth during Meteor one thousand times again than to lose the man now. Now Sephiroth was truly _alive_ again, and in his right mind, Cloud didn't want to let him go. But if that was what Sephiroth wanted, what else could he do? Just accept it…

But he didn't _want_ to accept it. Of all the things he would rather give up, Sephiroth was the one thing he couldn't. He would rather _die_. Death would be a welcome release from the dredge that was his current state of life…

Perhaps he should've just accepted the fact that Sephiroth was dead and gone. He should have wished for Aerith instead… maybe then, if he could have just accepted her love for him, he may have been happy… even if he would never love her in the same way. As long as he was loved by _someone_…

Cloud pulled his knees to his chest and started to sob. Why was it that he was practically _made_ to suffer? Why was he practically chosen to be humanity's whipping boy? Everything he ever tried to do, every dream he had… everything turned to shit. His entire life was painful. Happy memories? He had those precious few; one of Tifa, several with Zack… and the rest? The rest were from his time before the razing of Nibelheim, and only with Sephiroth.

And now, there were no more good memories to look forward to. He went and ruined it all for the pleasure of that brief moment, born from lust, attraction and utter irrationality. Leon wouldn't want him, _ever_, and Sephiroth didn't want him anymore…

The blonde raked one hand harshly over his scalp. The action stung, but he barely felt it as his heart pounded loudly in his ears.

[…so… fucking… stupid…]

So loudly, in fact, that he didn't hear the older man shift and sit close to his side.

"Stop that," Sephiroth scolded lightly, taking Cloud into his arms. "…knock it off…"

Zack's mental ears perked up. Though he had given up pleading to Sephiroth long ago, it seemed his influence worked a _little_, considering the ex-General's less-than-characteristic words. _/--Seph…? Are you…?--/_

/…you know I love him, Zack./ He tightened his grip around the blonde, resting his chin on top of Cloud's soft, golden spikes. _/This… this is…/_ Sephiroth shook his head and sighed as Cloud gave in, letting himself be held, nearly molded to the older man's body. _/…it's nothing…/_

__

/--Do you seriously mean that?--/ Zack's tone was absolutely incredulous. _/--You're not, like…--/_ He paused for a long while. _/--…**mad** at him…?--/_

It wasn't that Zack wanted his friend to be mad at Cloud, far from it; the blonde had an ego as fragile as glass, and all three of them realized that. But it still shocked him, because Sephiroth honestly wasn't the type to dismiss something so easily.

__

/Oh, I am, don't get me wrong…/

__

/--…oh.--/

And it was the truth. He _was_ angry, but not completely towards _Cloud_.

The one Sephiroth was _truly_ angry at was _Leon_.

Sephiroth's nature was to be self-concerned, the characteristic practically expected of him, due to his old job, and his own so-called 'importance'. Since the time he was in ShinRa, he had _always_ gotten what he wanted, and without question. Such was the power of influence.

But with selfishness came possessiveness, and Cloud - begrudgingly as Sephiroth was to admit - quite frankly, was _his_. He couldn't help but think that Leon had desecrated his property, loathe as he was to associate Cloud with something to _own_… but fairly, he _had_ claimed the man, and long ago. He _never_ relinquished his right to him, not even in death.

A part of the back of his mind spoke up, reminding him that he had murdered Aeris, as she called herself then, in cold blood. The reason on the surface was, that, as a Cetra, she was the only _true_ threat to his and Jenova's mission. Upon further reflection… Sephiroth remembered the girl had loved Cloud.

As the Masamune was slowly retracted from her body, Sephiroth was _smiling_, directly at Cloud…

Back then, the Jenova cells in his body made sure to let the younger one know that Cloud was Sephiroth's. On top of killing Aeris, before the rebel group had acquired the Black Materia, Sephiroth had distinctly told the blonde that he was always by his side - and he was. Sephiroth would always be by Cloud's side… because he had marked his territory. And when said 'territory' was threatened…

Cloud was a part of him, but even more deeply than the blonde understood. They were connected through Jenova… Sephiroth wondered if his possessiveness could be due to that. He couldn't recall being so clingy in the ShinRa military…

The more he thought about it, Jenova's current influence non-withstanding, he wondered if he still _was_ so sick and twisted as he was during Meteor. It was frightening to realize that he had retained, at least in a sense, that primal feeling of ownership from the time. As it were, he absolutely _hated_ Leon, and the only thing he knew about the brunette was that he and Cloud had a fling…

Sephiroth was rather unsure of how to deal with _that_ side of the problem at the moment.

But the subject of Leon could wait, for now. Sephiroth would arrive at that road eventually.

The older man pried Cloud away from him and held him away at arm's length. Cloud's face was flushed and tear-stained, completely haggard. Sephiroth wondered if the blonde had even had a decent rest or anything at _all_ since he arrived at Traverse Town - he knew he himself hadn't in a very long while. Too bad they weren't able to go to wherever it was Cloud was staying and rest, due to that pleasant little get-together.

Sephiroth groaned. He didn't feel up to facing the inquisition just yet.

"Cloud… listen to me." Sephiroth shifted, locking Cloud's eyes with his own. "There are many things I must do, and all of them pertain to improving me…"

"But you're perfect already…"

"I am _far_ from perfect…" The older man shook his head mournfully. "And I want you know this: whatever you've done, or feel you've done…" He leaned forward, stopping just short of Cloud's lips, his mouth brushing the other's as he spoke. "…always," Sephiroth murmured, "…I will _always_ be with you… no matter what."

The mercenary asked, voice a sodden whisper, "you don't hate me?"

"Don't be a fool…" Sephiroth tilted his head and kissed him softly. "…of course not…," he sighed, wiping away the wetness from underneath Cloud's eyes. "You're a saint compared to me, after all I've done to you."

"…but it wasn't—"

"Stop," he ordered, cutting him off. "No more of that, alright?" The older man leaned forward, giving Cloud a sweet peck on the lips. "If you take the blame for my actions anymore, I will be coerced into using force to quiet you. And truthfully," Sephiroth said dryly, brushing a lock of hair from Cloud's face, "I've grown quite bored of torturing you."

"No more mental anguish? Oh no, whatever shall I do…," the blonde deadpanned. He wiped his nose with the back of his hand and sniffled. "…I'm really sorry, though. for…," he paused, frowning. "…everything…"

Sephiroth hugged Cloud tight against his body. "When I said no more, I meant it. Please." The older man sighed. "I did have _some_thing to do with Jenova. And don't argue with me on it," he added as Cloud nearly began to protest. "As for the Leon situation… that can be handled later, with him."

The blonde nodded, letting out a ragged breath. "I love you…"

"I love you as well."

They kissed again, slow and deep, savoring their time alone. Sephiroth felt a bit guilty, allowing himself to explore the depths of Cloud's mouth so intimately when he hadn't told Cloud about Riku, but he wasn't planning on keeping it to himself. After the breakdown Cloud just had, Sephiroth didn't believe it was right to mention it, taking into consideration the blonde's affinity for taking blame for Sephiroth's actions upon himself.

Cloud, on the other hand, felt he didn't _deserve_ the kiss, especially since Sephiroth's tongue wasn't the only one - let alone the only _thing_, he wanted to scream at himself - in his mouth that day…

"Now," Sephiroth started as he pulled away, smiling thinly, "shall we go to this meeting?"

"…I don't want to." Cloud planted his face in the crook of the older one's neck. "There's a room full of pissed off people, and I'm not up to being chastised right this second…"

"Would you prefer they come to us?"

Cloud snorted then inhaled deeply, Sephiroth's scent beautiful. It was strange how someone could have a natural aroma as he did, no matter what state he was in. He always smelled _clean_. Hell, even his hair looked clean, barely ever knotted or tangled. Cloud reached up to the back of Sephiroth's head, splaying his fingers on his scalp, and proceeded to comb through the first few inches of the man's hair.

"I'd prefer we just stay here…"

"The sooner we finish, the sooner I get to bathe." Sephiroth made a disgusted face. "I'm filthy."

Cloud blinked. "…yeah, me too." He lifted an eyebrow. "For safety's sake, we'd better do it together."

"Poor attempt to try and get me naked, Strife. Besides," Sephiroth added, "you were going to join me anyway." Cloud grinned wickedly. "I don't believe I'm able to wash this on my own."

"…I know you're a big guy, Seph, but I don't think that's _really_ a two-man job…" He paused. "…unless you want it to be."

Sephiroth gave the mercenary a blank look. "I meant my wing." The silver-haired man then grinned wickedly. "Rather, I **_was_** referring to it… you've managed to skew the entire concept of actually bathing, now."

"Good."

--------

The short walk from the Gummi Garage to Yuffie's wrought more stares than either man could count. It was as if all eyes were focused solely on the two of them, doing nothing more than walking side by side through the streets. Cloud fidgeted uncomfortably as several people, children, mainly, pointed at them - rather, or so he thought, at _him_.

Somehow, Sephiroth managed to convince the blonde mercenary to let his wing out in the open.

He felt naked, honestly, without the mantle hiding the offending appendage; these strangers were being allowed to see more of himself than he was willing to share, and he hated every second of it. The wing was disgusting, it made him feel like a monster, less than human.

Cloud hung his head, heaving a sigh. _[This is how Vincent felt… no wonder he almost chose to stay asleep…]_

He folded the demon wing close to his body, reaching back to readjust the crimson mantle.

"I was curious as to how long you could go before doing that," Sephiroth spoke up, leaning so only Cloud would hear.

"Sorry… it's just… this _thing_ is so hideous…"

Sephiroth made a small noise of disapproval. "I think it's rather intriguing."

The blonde made a face. "Intriguing as in disgusting…"

Sephiroth stopped, grabbing the shorter man's forearm. "No, intriguing as in _intriguing_. As appalling as _you_ may consider it, I, on the other hand, do not. It is a part of _you_, after all." To prove his point, he pushed the cape aside and ran his fingers over the leathery wing, tracing the paths of the thin veins throughout it. "Actually, it's oddly beautiful; definitely not in the conventional sense, but there _is_ something about it…"

The blonde closed his eyes and shivered visibly at the intriguing patterns Sephiroth followed. He was unable to form a coherent response, only managing to release a small moan from the back of his throat. How such a light touch to the flimsy skin could be so torturously stimulating, Cloud didn't know.

"Sensitive too, is it?" Sephiroth asked with a smirk. He chuckled as Cloud nodded, eyes half-lidded, and moved behind the blonde. Sephiroth wrapped his arms around the smaller man, hands slung low on his belly, pinning the base of Cloud's now-fully extended wing between the two of their bodies. "I'll have to remember that for later," he murmured, close to Cloud's ear.

Cloud's eyes closed completely as he felt a very familiar sensation attack a spot on his neck. The combination of the eternally nippy Traverse night air and the hot, laving tongue producing a rather delectable feeling. He sighed, practically melting into Sephiroth, and let his head fall back.

Even with his eyes closed, Cloud was well aware the town's residents were watching them, disapproving their actions. They were two fully-grown men, after all, acting more like horny teenagers than anything else. And even though Traverse Town was an accepting community, for the most part… that kind of behavior was not the most appreciated. Most public displays of affection weren't.

"…you should stop… people are watching us…," Cloud mumbled, finding his right hand buried in silver hair. The older man only made a noise Cloud interpreted as 'shut up, I'm enjoying myself', and promptly began to suck on the tender flesh - definitely intent on placing a nice hickey on the blonde.

Cloud shuddered, the other man's hands gently massaging his lower abdomen. Everything Sephiroth did all but dissolve Cloud into a puddle of hormonal goo. "If you don't stop, I'll have to change my pants before we get to Yuffie's…"

But, as was his nature, Sephiroth was still relentless in his ministrations.

"…I say we skip that stupid meeting…," Cloud started, voice husky, followed by a suggestive and _very_ deliberate swivel of his hips, "and we go have our own fun, how about you…?"

He almost died of excitement when Sephiroth nodded. The blonde groaned, shuddering. "…can we?"

To his own surprise, Cloud _growled_ as Sephiroth shook his head 'no'. "You are the _worst_ tease I've ever met."

Sephiroth moved away from the delicacy that was Cloud's neck long enough to murmur, "good things come to those who wait."

"…I don't _want_ to wait to come."

Both Sephiroth and his mind-partner started to laugh at the unlikely statement, its tone childish and whiny. "I see you've retained a bit of Zackary's immature behavior…"

__

/--Oh, shut up.--/

"But, I do suppose we should leave this spot, eventually," Sephiroth finished with a sigh.

The blonde grumbled. "If you'd keep your hands off me for two seconds we would've been there already, you know."

Sephiroth had to admit, Cloud had a point. But he couldn't help it.

Cloud was so beautiful, and despite his new menacing appearance, he managed to retain that aura of innocence about him which drove the silver-haired man absolutely wild. It had been so long since the two were together - _alone_, at least, no thanks to Zack, and Nibelheim inn's single bedroom… - and Sephiroth couldn't help but find himself touching Cloud every chance he had.

He did know, however, that there were many Traverse Town residents around them. Sephiroth silently cursed them all. They were one of two things keeping him from simply taking Cloud into an alleyway and, as Zack so often said, 'fucking him senseless'.

He winced at the direction his thoughts were taking him. Cloud _wasn't_ a sex toy… "I love you, Cloud."

"I know, Seph…"

Aqua eyes happened to glance upwards, catching a certain brown-haired boy staring at him with the widest blue eyes Sephiroth had ever seen. _/Zackary, it's that boy…/_

He felt Zack nod. _/--Yeah, the Keybearer. Hey… is that…?--/_

Cloud snapped back to awareness when he heard Goofy's very distinct voice exclaim, "gawrsh, Sora! That big feller's got C-Cloud!"

"Forget about him, he can take care of 'imself!" Donald squawked, jumping up wildly. His feathers were puffed up, shaking his arms in back of him. Quite frankly, the duck looked pissed… as usual.

"But, uh, w' can't jus' stand here…"

"Of course we can't! We gotta see Leon!!"

"But Cloud's—"

"I DON'T CARE!!!"

"Stop it, you guys!" Sora ordered, frowning at his animal companions. "Cloud's fine… you guys go find Leon, okay? I'll see you in a bit." The boy turned, smiling slightly at a red-headed girl. "Can you go with them…? I kinda wanna talk to Cloud…"

__

/Kairi, wasn't it…? That girl without the heart…?/

/--She's got it now, obviously…--/

The girl tilted her head, glancing over at the two strangers, but Sephiroth in particular. She opened her mouth to speak then stopped, thinking the better of it. "No problem! Be quick about it, though, 'kay?"

Grinning broadly, the brown-haired boy nodded. "Of course!" Sora shook his head at Donald as the duck huffed, somehow dragging both the dog and Kairi behind him.

Sora trotted over to the two winged men, large shoes slapping against the cobblestone, and waved. "Hey, Cloud!"

The blonde man smiled, nodding a greeting as he squirmed a bit in attempt to break Sephiroth's embrace. "Hi, Sora. Long time no see."

Sora grinned broadly. It was dead apparent that Cloud was in no trouble at all. The boy couldn't help but watch Sephiroth warily, trying to keep himself from getting caught; it was just that the physical similarities he and Riku shared were mind-blowing.

"Yeah, we've been way too busy… a lot of stuff's happened," he added with a frown. "Stronger Heartless… Kairi…," his frown deepened as he mumbled, "…Riku…" The boy let out a sigh then perked up, smiling slightly. "But it'll all be okay soon, I know it."

"I hope so…" Cloud caught the boy's gaze flitting over to the silver-haired man as he spoke, and smacked his forehead. "Oh! Sora, this is Sephiroth—"

"Your Light," Sora finished. "I can tell." He tilted his head to the side, pressing his finger to his chin. "Weird, it's like your wings give you away."

The blonde blinked. "What do you mean?"

Sora smiled. "They're total opposites! That's gotta mean _something_." He paused, frowning. "Well, except they're the same color. But still! Yours is big, yours is small; yours is an angel's, yours is a devil's; yours is on the right, yours is on the left… it's a sign!" The boy winked slyly and chuckled. "You're the darker half, too, huh Cloud?"

Sora cleared his throat as both men gave each other an unreadable stare. "Heh…" The boy looked up at the much taller man and offered a gloved hand. "Well, nice to meet you! I'm Sora."

Sephiroth nodded as he shook the boy's hand, dwarfing it in comparison. "Hello. I've heard many things about you," he replied politely.

His last sentence, however, earned him a questioning stare from his lover. "I never mentioned him before…"

"…not from you."

Cloud blinked. "But who else could you have found out about Sora… from…" Blue eyes went wide with realization as a possibility dawned on him. "…_ohh_… what?! You mean—?"

The silver-haired man kneed him in the back of the leg discreetly as he could, and Cloud shut up.

"…what is it?" Sora frowned, watching the exchange. "C'mon, no fair…"

Withholding information was something that Cloud always hated to do, as he himself loathed being left in the dark, and his suspicion about Sora being the same proved correct when the tiny brunette searched their faces, fidgeting. The boy then started to pout at the prolonged stretch of silence, arms crossed petulantly, looking back and forth from Cloud to Sephiroth. He didn't look angry, per se, only more upset that Cloud was hiding from him.

Before Cloud could open his mouth and cave, telling Sora what he knew, Sephiroth nudged him with his knee, speaking instead. "Perhaps we should all get to Kisaragi's, Cloud. We've wasted enough time already, I think."

"Y… yeah. Let's go." He looked over to a still-pouty Sora. "We'll walk with you there, alright, kid?"

"Ya gonna tell me why you're being all weird?"

Sephiroth nodded. "I'll tell you everything, Sora, that coincides with what you already know."

With that, the three of them - finally - got to Yuffie's small house, pit-stops for groping effectively prevented by Sora's presence.

--------

Leon was practically tearing his hair out, hoping that the pain would dull the throbbing in his ears from Cid's constant screaming about 'stupid fucking goddamn slow-ass pretty-boys'.

All of them were still waiting for Cloud and Sephiroth's arrival after what seemed like an eternity. When he came back from the last trip to Cid's office, Leon was the unfortunate on the receiving end of the pilot's frustration after he reported the men missing - the only way he could be sure Cid would stop sending him back there - and barely refrained from punching the older blonde in the mouth.

…not that hitting Cid would've done any good for Leon's health. For his age, Cid was exceptionally quick as well as strong, not to mention his incredible skill with the Venus Gospel.

To the ex-SeeD's relief, Aerith had stopped crying long ago. But she had slipped into a depressive state, sitting on the bed in the front room, hands folded in her lap. She hadn't spoken much, either, which dismayed Yuffie. She tried desperately to cheer Aerith up, but nothing had worked thus far, unfortunate for her. The ninja sat by her side, elbowing her occasionally in attempts to get a response.

Leon was glad to see Donald and Goofy stroll into the base at such a convenient time, with everyone together already, but was a little startled when an unknown girl - who seemed to be around Sora's age - in tow instead of the Keybearer himself.

Kairi seemed like a nice enough girl; she was polite, even introducing herself kindly to everyone before asking for a seat on the couch.

Everyone was accounted for, with the exception of the 'pretty-boys' and Sora. Leon grumbled, assuming his usual position against the wall. With Cloud and his Light reunited… the gunblade wielder groaned.

He was going to be in for a _very_ long night.

--------

The ex-General stopped, placing a hand on Cloud's shoulder before they closed the final distance between the house and themselves, leaving Sora to clomp towards the domicile obliviously.

"Sephiro-_mmph_?!"

Cloud was silenced by a pair of lips as Sephiroth kissed him, hot and needy, hands on his lower and middle back. The blonde's breath was stolen when the other man's tongue dove into his mouth, much more forceful - but pleasantly so - than before.

Cloud was stunned, to say the least, by the sudden attack, the need to return the fervent exploring barely registering until Sephiroth pulled away, leaving him panting.

"I love you."

Sparing no time, Sephiroth grabbed his hand and pulled the now-severely dazed mercenary behind him, wishing the meeting with Leon and the others was already over. It had been a long, _long_ time… and he _needed_ to get his eager hands back on Cloud.

--------

The brown-haired teen flopped onto the couch, sprawling bonelessly. "Everything, Leon…?" Sora groaned loudly and made a face at Leon's nod. "No way, a lot of stuff's happened…"

"Uhh… how 'bout Sora gives ya th' short version?" Goofy supplied, head bobbing imperatively, hoping that would work. Sora truly looked to be in no mood for retelling the recent events in Hollow Bastion.

Leon's resolve crumbled when Sora shot him his best pair of puppy-dog eyes. "…alright. But only as long as you give me as many details on the more important things as you can," he added quickly.

The red-headed girl raised her hand shyly. "I can help, too." She looked at Sora and smiled lightly. "Like what we did when you turned into a Heartless," she finished, jerking a thumb at Donald and Goofy.

"When you turned into a _what_?!" Yuffie squawked, very nearly leaping out of her seat. "How did _that_ happen?!"

Sora ignored the ninja, turning around to stare out the window. It had been a good two minutes since _he_ entered the small house, but the boy couldn't see past the perpetual midnight haze. A disheartened groan left him - waiting for information really _sucked_.

"Hey… Sora?" Kairi poked her friend in the arm.

"Huh?" The spiky-haired teen whirled around, startled. "Oh. Hm?"

"…you didn't hear a word she said, didja?" She giggled. "Same ol' Sora…" Sora grinned sheepishly, crossing his arms behind his head.

"Sorry."

Cid looked at his watch and swore under his breath. Because of Sephiroth's appearance in town, he only had an hour left to finish repairs on a customer's Gummi. The things that had to be fixed would only take him a little while - with his 'superior' restoration skills, the job would require about twenty minutes of his time, thirty at most… but he also needed to be there when the owner came to pick it up.

He decided he really needed another person around the garage. Shera would've been nice to have just then…

"Shit… sorry, guys, I gotta go," the pilot grunted, stomping towards the door. "Y'all be sure to give that fucker hell… and make sure Cloud don't do nothin' stupid," he warned, harshly pointing at each of the room's inhabitants.

Leon regarded him questioningly. "Are you sure you can't stay?"

"I wanna, but…," Cid shrugged, snuffing his cigarette, "can't. Still got shit to do at the garage." Casting everyone a final glance, he yanked open the door… only to be greeted by a rather strange shriek.

"Gods, Cid!"

Cloud clutched his chest, directly over his heart. He was about to knock when the other blonde man opened the door and caught him completely off guard.

…and Cloud could have sworn he heard Sephiroth choke back a snicker when he yelped. "Warn me next time!"

Cid raised an eyebrow, taking a swipe at his nose. "The fuck should I do that for? Nobody else goes around sayin' they're about to open the fuckin' door for yer jumpy ass…" He made a face. "Who the fuck gets scared by a _door_, anyway?!"

"Cloudy has _problems_, Cid," Yuffie reminded, innocently. The pilot looked back at her, then to Cloud, then craned his neck to eye Sephiroth cautiously over Cloud's shoulder.

"…oh yeah."

The younger blonde frowned. "…hey…"

"I'll see y' guys later." Cid pushed past Cloud and left the house, sparing a look at the silver-haired man with narrowed eyes. "You better fuckin' behave, or I'll…"

__

/--…how come no one really finishes threatening you?--/ Zack asked, watching Cid make his way towards First. It was an absent thought, but he really couldn't remember the last time someone actually completed stating a consequential threat to the ex-General.

__

/Perhaps they find suitable consequences for my actions too hard to come up with. Or handle./

__

/--Good point.--/

In a brave move, Cloud took hold of Sephiroth's hand and stepped through the door, pulling the other man in behind him. Sephiroth's aqua eyes widened slightly at Cloud's brass - the idea that the blonde would display such boldness in front of his friends, even if the gesture was rather slight, never occurred to him.

—He also disregarded Zack's comment about their friend finally 'having some balls'. The need to defend Cloud's honor would have been useless, anyway, considering the dead SOLDIER's playfully musing tone.

Besides, Sephiroth echoed the sentiment. It was encouraging to see him show such courage out of love.

"…sorry we're late…," Cloud mumbled, carefully stepping around the occupants of the place to find somewhere to perch, "we got sidetracked…"

Two sets of Mako-enhanced eyes snapped towards a certain snickering ninja. Yuffie coughed and cleared her throat, taking a cursory glance at Aerith, the girl's face pained at Yuffie's suggestive laugh. "…erp…" She leaned over, whispering, "…I didn't mean anything by it… 'm really sorry…"

Aerith forced a smile, half-heartedly waving it off. "Don't worry about it…" She looked up at Cloud, who was now standing in front of-slash-leaning on Sephiroth, the older man mimicking Leon's bored stance. "It's just… something I need to get used to, I guess…"

The ninja apologized again, draping her arm around her friend's shoulders reassuringly.

The room was quiet for a moment in an awkward silence, everyone trying to avoid eye contact with certain people. Despite the need for Sora to tell his story and the actual point of the meeting, it seemed the floor was the only thing present that was getting any real attention. Everybody - even _Donald_ - was quiet, all caught up in their own inner thoughts for some reason or another.

Sora was practically tearing his hair out. It weirded him out how much Sephiroth looked like Riku, and that fact compounded with Cloud's resemblance to himself didn't help his longing. He needed to know what information Sephiroth had about Riku, but it didn't look like he was going to get it any time soon, thanks to Leon.

Kairi was also surprised at the silver-haired man's appearance. If Riku aged about thirteen years, grew his hair out to no limit, and used a ton of hair gel on his bangs, she decided it would be just like he was there with them.

The redhead pouted slightly, her purple orbs settling on Sora. He looked so sad underneath his exuberant exterior, and it broke her heart… she regretted her suggestion back on Destiny Island. Every day she wished she could go and take it back… it was stupid and petty of her to even _think_ of something like that about their mutual friend. Regret was a hard thing to deal with, especially since she got what she had wanted back then - it _was_ just her and Sora on another world, now…

Sora looked up at her, head tilted in question, and Kairi tore her gaze away guiltily. Apologizing would have to wait for later, preferably when they were alone.

Eight pairs of eyes shot towards Leon as he cleared his throat, purposely breaking the prolonged silence.

"Now that everyone's here…" he started, directing his attention towards Sora, "tell me what happened."

----------------------

__

A/N: Itty-bitty revision on 7/12/04. It was barely a revision… but still.

OH MY GOD. Writing that Cloud/Seph scene thingy MADE ME CRY, even though I KNEW how I was going to have it turn out from the start. Overemotional me, whee.


	16. Part Fifteen

****

Part Fifteen

__

-My hands are glued upon the wheel  
The road ahead is all I feel  
The only thing left that's real  
On and on I'll take this long way home.  
-"Long Way Home", The Offspring-  
------------------

Sephiroth listened intently as the Keybearer recounted his recent activities, most of which pertained to Hollow Bastion. The look in Sora's eyes whenever he mentioned his friend's name was so sorrowful, the feeling nearly palpable, and the ex-General knew that how Riku felt for the other boy was definitely not simply one-sided.

It seemed that the girl didn't detect Sora's true feelings towards Riku, either, Sephiroth noticed. Or at least not at face value. Perhaps because the teen repressed the true extent of his love for Riku when he spoke of the older one; Sephiroth found it understandable how one could miss that emotion, had one not known what to look for. At least that assumption rang true in Cloud's case, seeing as none of his old teammates had caught onto it during Meteor… and, surprisingly, not even afterwards.

The silver-haired man placed his hands on Cloud's hips, the blonde shifting into him at the gesture. He felt somewhat guilty about showing his affection in front of the others, though; not because of Aerith, but because of Sora. Sephiroth had an inkling that his presence was a great shock to the boy, due to his resemblance to his lost Light.

As he recalled, Riku mentioned that Sora didn't know how he felt for him… _/Though not for much longer…/_

His mind-partner cleared his nonexistent throat. _/--Do you really think it's smart to butt in like that?--/_

/No. But Zackary…,/ the silver-haired man jerked his conscience towards Sora, _/look at him. Does he look happy to you?/_

/--…it can't be right to tell him, though… I mean…--/ Zack trailed off and sighed. _/--…how would that make him feel any better? Knowing that someone who loves him is out there, and his fate rested on his shoulders? Sounds familiar, doesn't it.--/_ The ex-SOLDIER chuckled lightly. _/--Saying that's **pressure** is an understatement, and you know it.--/_

/You're suggesting I leave it be, then?/

/--Yeah… I am.--/

Cloud looked up at his Light when Sephiroth shook his head. The older man smiled lightly at him and rubbed his unarmored hip reassuringly. _/…I can't, Zack. Not after what Cloud went through… platitudinal as it may be, that boy needs hope. He needs something to motivate him, and what better incentive is there to fight than for love?/_

/--Their situation isn't the same as yours and Cloud's was, Seph… Cloud didn't just have to fight for it, but he had to fight **against** it… and, ultimately, kill it. Who knows what Riku's been doing in that Darkness?--/ Zack stopped. _/--…and I have no fuckin' clue what the hell 'platitudinal' is supposed to mean.--/_

/…regardless…/ Sephiroth sighed quietly, ignoring most of what his mind partner had said.

He didn't know quite how to word the idea he was trying to convey to Zack, try as he might. Maybe it was because the two _were_ so alike, but Sephiroth felt as if he _owed_ it to Riku to let Sora know that, if he hadn't been caught up in Ansem's lie, Riku would have _never_ hurt Sora as he did, because he loved him.

__

/--…what, if you told him that, would it be to clear **your** conscience, too…?--/

The silver-haired man winced, closing his eyes sadly. Zack's suggestion wasn't meant to hurt him, but it did… because it was true.

If he could tell Sora that it was never Riku's intention to hurt him, maybe he could save the boy from suffering like Cloud had, fighting against the person he loved the most. Maybe by preventing _Sora_ of that pain, Sephiroth could make up to Cloud, just a little, for all the things he couldn't do enough to apologize for.

Even if Cloud wasn't blaming him, Sephiroth _did_. Jenova's pull was strong, and his heart was too weak to resist it. He doubted his humanity then, and she took him into her icy grip… and since he doubted himself, he was powerless to fight her. As for Riku…

Sephiroth hated the fact that he was too blind to realize Riku's change in personality when Ansem began to take him over. He should have noticed the subtle differences when the silver-haired boy and Ansem switched, however brief the occurrences were. He could have stopped it all from happening.

__

/--Stop acting like Spike… there was nothing you **could** do. Y'know, you guys got some **real** bad guilt issues,--/ Zack said jokingly, yet completely serious at the same time.

__

/I must do this, Zackary… I feel as if I'm obligated,/ Sephiroth reiterated, _/…even if it is for no one else's sake but my own./_

/--…it could end up doing more harm than good, you know,--/ Zack warned.

The ex-General shrugged slightly to himself. _/That's a chance I will have to take./_

Zack made a helpless sound of defeat, grasping at straws. In truth, he honestly was against the idea… he saw what Cloud had to suffer through after Nibelheim, and as he continued watching over his young friend from the Lifestream after death. What Sephiroth wanted to do put Sora at the same risk for that pain.

He couldn't shake the foreboding feeling that, if Sora knew, it would end up even worse for the boy in the long run. Tragic villains, victimized by their own fates, never had happy endings. Sephiroth never wanted to play the bad guy, and Zack knew it. However willing to join Jenova as he was, the fact of the matter was that the former General was forced into the role by circumstance, and Riku as well.

And, the unwilling hero, Cloud had to watch Sephiroth die, and was made to see the one he loved disappear from his life, forever, no matter however badly he wanted to save him. Zack didn't want Sora to have to go through anything like that…

__

/--Seph, please… think about it a little more, okay? Think of the consequences it could have…--/

/Every action has a reaction, Zackary. I understand that./

/--…I don't think this is going to end well at **all**, Seph…--/ Zack exhaled deeply. It wasn't his nature to give up so easily, but then again… neither was Sephiroth's.

That simple fact was basically the only reason their friendship ever had its rough patches. When they disagreed on any strategy, regardless of subject matter, they could never find a common ground. Each of them had their own positions and held fast to their beliefs, both too stubborn to be swayed from their paths. No amount of pleading or convincing from either side did any good - that's just the way they were.

__

/--…not at **all**. **Please**, Seph…--/

/I need to, Zackary. This is much too important to leave be./

/--…fine… I…--/ Zack sighed again, _/--…I give up.--/_

Sephiroth withheld an apology for Zack's defeat.

--------

"Whoa, whoa. Wait." Leon held up a placating hand before placing it on his forehead, massaging his temples. "You had Kairi's heart?"

"Guess so…"

Steely grey eyes switched from Sora to Kairi and back again. "…how?"

"Um… I kinda… fell into him…?" the redhead answered, still just as confused about the entire thing as Leon was. She remembered the last time she saw Sora on Destiny Island, but still came up empty as to why her heart was in his own. Yes, she loved him, and very much so… Kairi would have very willingly given Sora her heart, _and_ her soul. But for it to have actually happened for real… and what she learned about her friend when she got it back…

Kairi shook her head. "Don't worry. I don't get it either…"

"How did you get it back?" Aerith asked, listening intently.

"He stabbed 'imself in the chest with th' dark Keyblade!!" the duck shouted distastefully, wings flailing. There were _no_ exceptions - all of the listener's eyes went large as saucers as they stared at a sheepishly grinning, rapidly blushing Sora.

"…um…" The brown-haired boy coughed. "…hi."

Yuffie buried her face in her hands and moaned, "gross**_ne--ess_**… eww, So--ora--a…"

"What!? I _had_ to!" Try as he might, the Keybearer couldn't hold back his boyish grin. It was always so _fun_ to freak girls out. "I didn't _bleed_…"

"An' after that, uh, he turned inta a Heartless," Goofy pitched in, nodding. "B' not before that Ansem feller came—"

"But Riku stopped him," Kairi cut in, talking more to Sora than anyone else. "He helped us get outta there…"

Sephiroth loudly cleared his throat. Everyone's attention turned on him, as it was the first time he had made any sound at _all_ since they arrived. "…that… I bore witness to that… and to Riku's sacrifice."

The brunette boy took in a sharp breath, eyebrows lifted in consternation. "…his…?" Sora's voice was soft, eyes searching Sephiroth's face for answers. "…his… _what_…?!"

"Sephiroth…" Cloud broke away from the silver-haired one's grip and took a step back. "What are you talking about?"

So Sephiroth recounted the time he spent with Ansem in that place, the one where he could see everything through Riku's eyes. He told them of how the amber-eyed man used the boy as a vessel, locking Riku's true self away. How he was able to get through that mysterious door - though, admittedly, he didn't understand how it was possible - to find that dank pit of a hallway, and Riku inside of it.

Sora and Kairi had cried when he approached the subject of Riku's rape. Sephiroth tried to word it as delicately as possible, but the truth of the matter was that there _was_ no way to sugarcoat that, try as he might. The two teenagers from Destiny Island wept for their friend's violation, holding each other as they did so, unashamed of who saw them do so.

Their tears provoked Aerith's empathy and she broke down with them, taking both of them into her arms. Sephiroth was rather glad to see the girl he murdered had managed to retain a sense of caring, her motherly essence calming the kids considerably as she kissed both of them on their foreheads.

Cloud, on the other hand, took to quietly watching Sephiroth evenly as he told his tale. He was shocked to hear that the older man had to go through all of _that_… and ashamed with himself for being caught up in so much self-pity when he hadn't seen _half_ as many terrible things as Sephiroth had.

And still, Sephiroth stayed strong. Cloud couldn't fathom how the other man could possibly remain so unshaken through it all. For sure, he knew he would have had numerous breakdowns, had he been in Sephiroth's shoes.

The feline-eyed one caught Cloud's gaze, and the blonde stepped towards him, hugging him tightly. "How do you do it…? How the hell can you stay so… _strong_?!" he asked, for Sephiroth's ears only.

"I'm not impregnable, Cloud…" Sephiroth pressed the younger man's cheek against his chest, his elbow resting on Cloud's shoulder armor, and murmured, "I wept for that boy as well…" He gave a soft, self-deprecating chuckle. "Yes, the cold-hearted General wept for someone other than himself."

Cloud sighed and rested a hand on Sephiroth's cheek, staring intently into the other man's eyes. He only hoped the other man could detect all the love and admiration he tried to put forth in that gaze.

"Sephiroth… I want you to stop looking down on yourself like that, okay?" Pensively chewing his lip, he continued, "you talk about yourself like you're some monster, but you _aren't_…"

"…still so easy to dismiss my shortcomings… it isn't right, Cloud. After what—"

The blonde held his index finger to Sephiroth's lips, shushing him. "No. Enough is enough," he mumbled sternly, voice softening as he added, "just… shut up. Alright?"

Corner of his mouth lifting in half-hearted amusement, Sephiroth responded, "I'll try."

Forgetting they actually _weren't_ alone in the room, Cloud stood up on the tips of his toes and kissed Sephiroth on both cheeks, then on the lips, and smiled lightly. "I really do love you, Seph…"

"…ugh." Both men looked towards the sound of Yuffie flopping down on the bed, her arms thrown out in disgust. "PDA is **_SO_** not my thing…"

Cloud nearly tripped over his feet as he tore himself away, whirling around to see several different human emotions shown on several very different faces, all of them pointed towards him and Sephiroth. The silver-haired man was quietly amused at Cloud's fumble, the small mercenary blushing fiercely.

"I… uh… oh, shit… I'm…," he floundered before settling his sights on Aerith, the girl's lips pressed together, eyebrows drawn in regretful sadness.

Cloud's heart panged for her. He didn't mean to upset her anymore… not to mention he still had to apologize for earlier. Stress and confusion and anger had culminated into that disgusted spitefulness, and he hadn't truly meant to direct it on the flower girl… "I-I'm sorry…"

She only waved it off and sat next to Yuffie, head bowed to her chest. The ninja popped up to comfort her, giving her a tight squeeze.

Aerith only wished that her heart could brush off the scene as easily as her body did. The fact that she knew the blonde loved Sephiroth wasn't this painful, she had known since… _too_ long. It was a damnable ability of the Cetra, to simply be _aware_ of so many things, back on the Planet. But to actually see it with her own two eyes…

Yes, it was an inevitability to witness Sephiroth and Cloud together _in that way_, but the reality of the situation was sealed, now.

Bearing witness to truths one doesn't want to heed… really, really sucked.

Leon sniffed disdainfully at the display of the two other men. "Is there anything more to your story?" he asked, slightly annoyed.

"…yes." Sephiroth tipped his chin up in a show of superiority. "After I removed Riku from that prison, the entire place started to break down… literally."

"Uh… y' mean th' place was fallin' apart?" Goofy ventured slowly.

The silver-haired man nodded. "Exactly right." He paused, wheels in his head turning in recollection. "We encountered a large mass of Darkness, and then Riku became frantic. I don't know what resolve he broke, nor what he was seeing, but the mass began vacillating, and he was screaming for _you_." The ex-General turned to Kairi. "I believe I heard you call out to him as well…?"

She bit her lip, clasping her hands in front of her, and humbly bowed her head. "He told me to run…"

"Yes…" Sephiroth pursed his lips. "…then many, _many_ Heartless emerged from the Darkness, most of which I had never seen before… and Riku…" He paused again, unsure of how to continue.

"…and all 'a that happened after Sora unlocked her heart?" Donald asked, jerking a thumb-like section of his wing towards Kairi. "When he was a Shadow?"

"Yes. Riku was worried the most about Sora…" Sephiroth crossed his arms, eyebrows drawn together. "…and he said that he was in the Darkness. So…," he sighed. "Riku… went to find him."

"He did _what_?!" Sora shot up, jaw slackened so far Sephiroth thought it might hit the floor. "He _WHAT_?!"

"And you let him go?" Leon's voice was cool and even. "You didn't even try and stop him?"

Sephiroth closed his eyes and counted to ten before opening them again. "I did… trust, I had no other choice."

The redheaded girl was on the verge of tears again as she slumped down in between Aerith and Yuffie, the other girls immediately flanking both sides. "…hn… Ri… Riku…"

"Why wouldn't you keep him from going in there?" the Cetra asked, refusing to look at Sephiroth. "There must have been something you could have done… if you truly aren't the person you were before…" She shook her head. "…you should have known better."

"Don't any of you dare assume I wanted him to be martyred," Sephiroth near-growled, "but the boy had made up his mind. He would not have been deterred."

"That's bullshit," Yuffie grumbled, glaring at him. "There's no way in _hell_ that _you_ couldn't have stopped a fifteen-year old! Big bad General of ShinRa scared of a _kid_?" The ninja scoffed, muttering under her breath. "K'sottare no baka yarou-kusai…"

Sephiroth grunted. Silently he wondered if everyone was getting on his case just to see if he would snap; and honestly, the sixteen-year old's name-calling had been unnecessary. "Very mature, Kisaragi. I'm sure Lord Godo would be proud to see his only kin in such a light."

"Keep my dad out of this, you jerk!!"

The silver-haired man sighed. "Perhaps it's better off our world was overrun… now, Wutai will never suffer being led by a child…" He spoke evenly and without menace, but the words still struck a chord he hadn't known they would.

"Shut the _FUCK_ up!" Yuffie stormed to her feet, whipping out the Conformer and holding it menacingly. "Don't you _DARE_ talk about my home!!" She balled her fist and shook it at him.

Sephiroth watched, unafraid but still quite curious. Such a violent, furious reaction seemed rather unlikely coming from the small girl.

"You messed it up _enough_, you _goddamned_ piece of shit-_fucking_ **_SHINRA_**!!"

The older man could have smacked his forehead. Of _course_ his former affiliation would have upset the girl.

ShinRa had ruined a great many cities, but the Wutaian people considered their once-proud nation one of the biggest tragedies even such a long time after the war Sephiroth himself had led, though he didn't understand why. He had seen everywhere Cloud visited through the man's eyes, and considered Corel the worse-fated of them all.

"**_HEY_**!! Let **_GO_** _of me_!!

The feisty ninja shrieked and kicked her legs, struggling to get out of Leon's grasp. He held her back from attacking Sephiroth as Cloud stepped in front of the silver-haired man and glared.

"_Yuffie_, cut it _out_!!" Cloud whirled, shoving a finger in Sephiroth's face. "You stop, too!" Again, Cloud turned and addressed Yuffie. "This isn't about Wutai or ShinRa or even _Sephiroth_ right now!" He pointed at Sora, the boy huddled with his two animal companions on the couch, the three of them gaping. "This is about _him_ right now, Yuf, so will you just be _civil_?! You're acting like a _child_!!"

"He took a dig at my dad!!" The ninja squirmed against Leon, the man's arms like lead around her. "He… Cloud, that asshole killed _Aeris_!! He tried to destroy the _Planet_!! Whether you love him or not, how can… how can you just _forgive_ all of the crap he _threw_ at you?!" Yuffie screamed, face red. "Are you _fucking_ **_STUPID_**?!"

Cloud focused on the floor, clenching and unclenching his fists. He held his body as if he was ready to strike at a moment's notice, shifting his weight from foot to foot, lips tightly pressed together. The blonde rolled his shoulders as Sephiroth reached out to him in attempt to pacify.

"You… do _not_ call me stupid… I know what I'm doing."

Yuffie bit her lip, jerking her body half-heartedly. She didn't want to escape to attack anymore so much as get away from her former leader, the look on his face blank but his voice a murderous growl. "Cloud—"

He closed his eyes and held a hand up, palm out. "Stop."

Cloud rested his chin against his chest before he took Sephiroth's hands and laced them together with his own, resting them on his stomach. He leaned with his back against the other man, Sephiroth fully supporting his weight. The blonde lifted his gaze from the floor, looking at Yuffie through his eyelashes.

"You… none of you guys… you just don't fucking _get_ it, _do_ you…?" Cloud snorted and tilted his head back. "They don't understand, Seph."

"We should leave," the taller man murmured, close to Cloud's ear, forgoing the idea of soothing him. "This stress is going to kill you…"

"If _you_ don't do it _first_," the ninja sneered. Sephiroth secured his grip around the blonde before Cloud could pull away.

"…Yuffie, please… no more taunting…"

Everyone cast Aerith a confused glance as she spoke up. Her face was remorseful and tear-streaked, dainty white hands clasped in her lap. Even though her posture was limp with her shoulders sagged forward in defeat, her voice was strong with resolve.

All of the fighting had gone on for too long, and it was ridiculous. Hard as it was to admit, Sephiroth _was_ back, but it was clearly obvious - at least to _her_, now that she had listened to him - that he was no longer a corrupted soul. There was something completely different and even so far as _soothing_ about him as well, but she couldn't place exactly _why_.

She hadn't known the man when she was dating Zack, but he had told her _a lot_ about the great General. If Hojo and the Turks weren't after her, maybe she _would_ have. But Sephiroth wasn't fond of the slums, or so Zack told her, and the only way she could have met him was at the military base - which would have almost spelled certain doom for her, so she stayed away.

It felt like she knew him, though. Zack always spoke highly of the silver-haired man every chance he had. When she and Tseng were still friends, he gushed about the man as well. Everyone worshipped Sephiroth, it seemed. To say their past was less than amiable would be an understatement, but…

Aerith loved Cloud, and she had a feeling that she always would. His being with her wasn't in the cards, though, because his heart was devoted to Sephiroth. A part of her hated Sephiroth for that, compounded with what he had done to her… but Cloud _loved_ him.

However, _she_ was willing to at least give the man a chance, despite the crimes he committed, for Cloud's sake and for Zack's memory.

It would be hard, but the Cetra knew she could do it. If she could even consider forgiving the man, the rest of them could as well.

"Yuffie, please… let's just trust Cloud." She looked up at the blonde and smiled, sadly. "Right, bodyguard…?"

Cloud bit his lip. For the umpteenth time that day he felt that familiar tightening in his throat, eyes blurring…

[Damn, I'm emotional today…]

He sniffed and laughed softly, shaking his head. "Yeah… thank you, Aerith," Cloud said, completely sincere.

Yuffie had a sullen frown on her face, unwilling to accept the silver-haired man so easily. "…are you sure?"

"Yes, I am."

"…positive?"

"Yes."

"Absolutely, one-hundred _percent_, **_completely_**—"

Aerith giggled and waved her hand at the ninja girl, her other hand wiping at her eyes. "Yes, yes, yes!"

"…I got first dibs on 'em if he goes schizo, though," Yuffie started, dead serious, "and don't say _you_ do, 'cause I _called_ it!"

"Yuffie…?"

Her eyes went wide when she realized she was still right up against Leon, even though the man let her go an indeterminable amount of time ago. "Erp!!" Yuffie scrambled over to the other side of the room and blushed. "…sidetracked."

"…right." Leon crossed his arms again, brow crinkling in thought. "Where were we?"

"…Riku in the Darkness…," Sora murmured distractedly. "Is he… dead, Sephiroth…?"

__

/--He's still alive. Tell 'im.--/

/You know this for a fact?/

Zack sighed. _/--Don't you feel him in your heart?--/_

Sephiroth coughed slightly, a little concerned he had forgotten such an important fact. "No, he's still alive." He frowned, shaking his head. "Wherever he is…"

"Hey…" Kairi furrowed her brow, sticking out her lower lip. "Sephiroth, you said Riku went into the Darkness to find Sora, right?" The man nodded. "So…" Kairi set her sights on the spiky-haired boy. "Did you… _feel_ him at all, when you were a Heartless…?"

"Nope…" Sora picked at the hem of his shorts thoughtfully. "Only you."

"Oh…"

"…Sora," the ex-SeeD nudged verbally, "go on."

--------

"So," Leon said, musing quietly behind his hand, "the Darkness is flowing out of the Keyhole…" Sora nodded.

Aerith sighed. "No wonder there are more and more Heartless everywhere…" She looked up at Leon. "So that means, the only way to stop them is—"

"Seal the Keyhole, right?" interrupted Sora. It _was_ pretty obvious what he had to do…

The ex-SeeD shrugged. "Maybe." Leon winced subtly, and addressed the brown-haired boy. "But no one knows what will happen once it's sealed…"

"Well, we can't just stay here," the boy mumbled, sinking back against the couch. He looked tired and completely worn out, but somehow still determined to finish his task. Cloud admired that strength of character, and even more so since Sora was so… _young_. "We have to do _something_. I've got a _friend_ back there."

Kairi placed a hand on Sora's knee comfortingly.

"That's right… you have one more friend to worry about…," Leon agreed, eyes flitting between the two.

Absently, Leon put a thumb against his lips in thought, teeth trying to find the nail underneath the leather glove, concentrating on putting together information. "…Riku's Keyblade must have been born of the captive princesses' hearts - just like that Keyhole you saw…"

The brunette began to pace, all eyes on him as he spoke. "Of course, without _Kairi's_ heart, it remained incomplete," he ticked that point off on a finger. "…once _that_ Keyblade was destroyed, the princesses' hearts _should_ have been freed…," he finished, though the thought was unknowingly spoken more to himself than anyone else.

Leon stopped pacing and stood in front of the boy, dropping a hand reassuringly on his shoulder. "…don't worry, Sora. If anyone can save your friend, you can."

Smiling lightly, Sora replied, "thank you…" The boy yawned and stretched, limbs splayed as far as they could, back cracking. "So, is there anything else ya wanna know? 'Cause I'm beat…"

The gunblade wielder cleared his throat, voice hushed. "…how many do you have left?"

The boy raised his eyebrow. "…huh?"

"…you know," Leon's face attempted to convey his meaning to a now-thoroughly confused teenager, who also looked like he was getting a little scared. The scarred man sighed and he tilted his head back, grumbling. "The _puppies_…?"

"_OH_!" Sora poked Donald with his foot. "Hey, get Jiminy for me, will ya?" The duck's eye twitched.

"Alright, alright." He waddled over to a bag in the corner of the room and fished through it, feather-swaddled but wagging in the air. "Phooey…" The butt swayed left to right as Donald dug farther into the pack.

"…gawrsh, Donald… it can't be good fer 'im if yer keepin' 'im buried in there like that," Goofy mused. Donald pulled his head out of the bag long enough to cast the dog a long, hard, death-glare before continuing his search.

"By the way," Sora perked up, "did you get Geppetto all settled, Leon?"

Leon nodded, gesturing towards the two oldest girls. "They took care of most of the actual work, though." The brunette shrugged. "All I did was hire the carpenters…"

"That reminds me," Aerith started, "he mentioned he had a gift for you."

"For me? Why?" The boy tilted his head, eyebrows furrowed. "What is it?" The girl shrugged.

"I GOT HIM!" Donald yelled triumphantly, holding a green cricket clad in a top hat and tails high in the air.

Sephiroth and Cloud were the only ones to gape at the odd spectacle. Apparently, something like that wasn't abnormal to anyone else in the room.

On tip-toe, Donald reached up and settled Jiminy on top of a nearby crate, and stood back. Out of thin air, the cricket pulled out a huge tome and set it up to lean against the wall before he bowed grandly, taking hold of the lapels on his jacket. "Howdy! What can I do ya for?"

"How many dalmatians are left out there?" Leon asked, a little too eagerly. Yuffie snickered quietly at him, stopping only when the eldest girl tapped her lightly on the arm and frowned.

"Let's see… the dalmatians… dalmatians…," the talking cricket mumbled, flipping through the pages of the book, scanning each page quickly. "Well, I'll be… only six of them!"

The ex-SeeD looked subtly - but incredibly, at least, so thought Sephiroth - relieved. "Alright." Leon clicked his tongue. "Maybe I should visit Pongo and Perdita…"

"And go pet your _pwecious_ _widdle_ puppies?" the ninja teased, giggling, hands clasped together in front of her chest. "You are _too_ cute, Squal—er, Leon…"

Leon wore an expression of distaste. "Whatever…"

"…I think it's sweet," the pink-clad Cetra stated tentatively. "After all, it isn't every day a man Leon's age gushes over animals…"

"I don't 'gush'," the gunblade wielder cut in scornfully. "It's just that the poor things are out there alone… they need their parents."

"Don't change the fact that you love them!" Yuffie singsonged.

The blonde raised his eyebrow, watching the ninja warily. It amazed him that she could be so carefree all the time, especially so soon after nearly having Sephiroth's head on a platter. Cloud was silently stunned that the silver-haired man hadn't reacted violently at all as she threatened him… he hadn't reached for the Masamune, either, not even to block an offending attack. Not even as a General did he leave himself so openly defenseless.

…then again, there wasn't exactly a lot of space in the room to maneuver the long weapon, especially not with innocent bystanders in the room…

"…I took care of a puppy once," Cloud reminisced quietly, pushing his earlier thought aside.

"…and the mother nearly mauled you when she found you touching it," the man behind him murmured, "had it not been for Zackary, she would have."

Aerith looked over at the both of them, eyes shining. "He saved you? What did he do?"

The blonde smiled lightly at her. "Cast Stop before it could get me. He said he didn't want to hurt it," Cloud replied, obviously glad to have the chance to recall the memory. He sorely missed his best friend, and would have given anything to see him again.

Sephiroth kept secret the reality that Zack was with him, though. Both former SOLDIERs agreed that it was for the best not to tell Cloud, or anyone else for that matter, that Sephiroth was hearing voices again. Granted, Zack wasn't a malevolent presence, but the simple fact that the silver-haired man still communicated with phantoms would be a rather big blow to their growing confidence in Sephiroth's sanity.

"Just like him," the girl sighed wistfully, another sad smile breaking her face.

"…I think we should go," Sora announced suddenly. "We should probably ask Cid about getting back to Hollow Bastion…"

Donald scooped Jiminy off of the crate, and the cricket jumped back into the pack Donald slung over his shoulder. "Good idea. We're wasting time just sittin' here…" The duck smacked Goofy in the arm, causing the large dog to jump comically.

"Wh-whoa!" Goofy whirled on his companion and put his hands on his hips, making an angry face as he towered over the bird. "Doncha know not t' do that?!" He stood up and crossed his arms, putting his back towards King Mickey's other charge. "'M very sensitive, y'know…"

Kairi giggled behind her hand as Donald mimicked the stance, bill tipped up impetuously. "You guys are too much…"

"He started it," they said simultaneously.

"C'mon you guys, let's go see Cid," Sora laughed and stood up, stretching again. "Plus, we gotta get supplies, too."

The ninja girl looked from Cloud and Sephiroth to Aerith before standing as well. She walked in front of Kairi and bent over, placing her hands on her knees. "How 'bout you an' me go shopping for 'em, huh?" Yuffie smiled brightly, holding up a finger to shush the younger girl before she could protest. "And no buts!"

"Okay," the redhead agreed, "they're going to do boring boy stuff anyway."

"That's right!" Yuffie winked. "It's girl time!"

--------

After saying their goodbyes, the room cleared, leaving only the winged men, Aerith and Leon. The gunblade wielder was quiet, deep in thought. He had gone back to his usual position, legs crossed in front of him. It was as if the brunette never sat down, Cloud noted, and when he did it was a rarity. The scarred man was always up and about, doing one thing or another around town.

But Leon enjoyed being busy. It wasn't as if he wanted to be known as a perpetual do-gooder, far from it. Yes, he fought the Heartless. Yes, he took care of refugees. Yes, he was pretty well-known around town, and well respected, but he didn't enjoy it, really.

The more work he took on, the less free time he had, but that was the way he wanted it. Less free time meant less time doing nothing other than lazing about, and that lead to thinking. Regrets for things he hadn't done, sorrow for memories he lost… those were the only results of musing.

And admittedly, Cloud was a part of his frustration as well.

Well… an even _bigger_ part, now more than ever.

He regarded the blonde slowly, his body so _close_ to the one he called his 'Light'. And though Cloud's face didn't really show it, Leon had to admit that the younger man looked happier than he had ever seen him… and he hated it. It wasn't fair. Why was _Cloud_ given the chance to be happy?

Eight years he had been going by the name of Leon… and the most of those he spent living in Hollow Bastion, after his own world was overrun. Ansem was sane back then… and a brilliant man, he came to find out - a surprisingly gracious one at that. He allowed Leon to help him in his studies, and didn't demand anything in return for food and shelter.

He met Yuffie and Aerith there as well - on the same day, but on different balconies of the palace. They weren't reunited with one another until a few days after that, though, and Leon hadn't known that they were from the same world, as Yuffie had been banged up quite badly. Ansem's servants had to tend to her wounds before she could go wandering the castle.

It was disheartening to Leon that two people from the same world landed in Hollow Bastion when there were no other survivors from his _own_ world there…

When the castle turned to Darkness, though… somehow, _all_ of them ended up in Traverse Town. Finding out about the town's reputation for taking in refugees, Leon immediately became involved with the 'welcoming committee', so to speak. For two years after Hollow Bastion's demise, to that very day, he had been working with the never-ending stream of newcomers, but _still_ hadn't found anyone he had known before… when he was Squall.

Leon watched the two men as they reminisced with Aerith about who he came to find out was her boyfriend, Zack. And while she wasn't completely friendly with the silver-haired one, Leon still found it hard to believe, after what he was told about the man and what he had done in Cloud's world, that Aerith could stand to be so close to the man, or even _talk_ to him.

…and Cloud _loved_ that guy…?

The gunblade wielder shook his head, admonishing himself for being so… hypocritical. At least Cloud had a _reason_ to love the one he did… unlike _himself_…

How outnumbered was he, now? There was Aerith and Yuffie, they met Cid in Traverse Town… Cloud at the Coliseum, and now Sephiroth, out of _nowhere_, it seemed. Who was next to drop in from their world? When was _Leon_ going to have the chance to see a familiar face? Why was _he_ doomed to be alone?

…the brunette couldn't help but thinking, though, as he walked out of the small house, forgoing giving goodbyes to the others in the room, that if he hadn't run away so many times… he wouldn't have _had_ to be alone.

--------

Sephiroth bit back a sneer as he watched Leon leave from the corner of his eye and wrapped his arm protectively around his demon-winged lover.

He caught the way the scarred man was watching Cloud before he retreated, and Sephiroth didn't like that look one bit.

--------

Stretching, Cloud arched back into Sephiroth's embrace. The three of them had lost track of time as they discussed Zack for what seemed like hours. Actually, it was more Aerith and Cloud doing the talking… Sephiroth had been doing more listening.

Of course, the one he was really listening to hadn't been to the ones in the room with him, but with Zack himself, the dead SOLDIER going on and on about more in-depth details about the stories, and some… well, some were a little more private than Sephiroth needed to know. He realized that Zack loved Aerith dearly, but…

…he didn't need to know _how_ dearly. It was just a bad thought. Damn Zack and his overactive sex drive…

The blonde stretched again and got up from his perch, joints cracking from lack of movement. He felt better then than he had in _years_, with so many things going… _well_. Aerith and he had made up, for the most part, and Sephiroth was back - and didn't hate him for what happened with Leon.

Even Aerith and Sephiroth were getting along, or so it appeared, anyway. To Cloud, she still had some reservations about the silver-haired man. She had been studying him, it looked like, as time wore on, even though most of what she was talking about was directed towards Cloud. He didn't blame her, of course, for her wariness, all things considering. Had he not loved the man, Cloud would have been afraid of Sephiroth, too.

But Leon… to tell the truth, Cloud hadn't noticed when the brunette left. He winced slightly, thinking about it. The mercenary _knew_ that Sephiroth wouldn't want them to stay at Leon's house, at least not until Sephiroth talked to the other man… Cloud wasn't really sure what Sephiroth _wanted_ to discuss with Leon. It wasn't as if the gunblade wielder was a potential threat to their relationship or anything… he was straight.

"We'd better go, Seph," Cloud said, smiling at the silver-haired man. "I'm sure Aerith's sick of us by now, huh?"

The flower girl grinned, shrugging lightly. "Things could be worse. I could be shopping with Yuffie…," she added, looking towards the clock. "It's nearly midnight…"

"She's probably fine," the blonde assured, "she can take care of herself."

"Yes, but alone against those new Heartless…" Aerith stopped and shook her head, waving her hand at her worry. "No, no, you're right."

Cloud turned around and slid his hand down Sephiroth's arm. "You ready?"

"Yes." The silver-haired man stepped out from behind Cloud and took one of Aerith's hands in both of his own. "…thank you. Thank you for understanding… Aerith."

The girl looked questioningly into Sephiroth's eyes for a moment before responding, "…what other choice did I have…? He loves you…"

Sephiroth let her go and stood back as Cloud hugged the flower girl tightly. "Really… thank you…" The blonde kissed Aerith on the cheek and hugged her again. "You don't know how much this means to me…"

"I think I do."

Cloud released her and the two men started out the door, but Aerith halted their retreat, hesitantly. "Cloud, may… you leave for a second, please?" The green-eyed girl lifted her lips slightly. "I need to have a word with Sephiroth, if you don't mind…"

Sephiroth lowered his eyebrow distrustfully and shot the blonde a hard look. Cloud's gaze switched back and forth between two sets of green eyes, well aware of the uncomfortable silence that permeated the room. "…I… guess…?" He took a step back, jerking a thumb towards the door. "I… guess I can wait outside…?"

"I'm not going to hurt him, if that's what you're worrying about," Aerith teased.

Cloud complied, glancing one last time at Sephiroth before he walked out of the small house, shutting the door behind him.

Immediately, Aerith set her sights on Sephiroth. The man stiffened under her scrutinizing gaze but waited quietly for her to speak. It was the least he could do, after all…

"You'd better not hurt him again," she said finally, staring at him. "You're well aware what will happen if you do."

"I've no reason to do such a thing," Sephiroth replied. "Jenova is gone, I am sane, and—"

"I realize that." Aerith shook her head dismissively. "I mean… emotionally."

Sephiroth chuckled. "Oh…" He took her hand the same way he did before and leaned down, lowering his voice. "Believe me… if I ever do, I permit you to be the one to punish me."

"'Wrath of the Cetra'?" She paused and smiled, tapping a finger against her chin. "I kinda like the sound of that, but… don't you give me reason to employ it."

The silver-haired man bowed respectfully. "You have my word. Goodbye, Aerith." He turned to leave.

Aerith closed her eyes in a moment of silent deliberation. "…wait…," she said quietly, then reached out and cupped Sephiroth's cheek. The girl had a pained look on her face as she stood on the very tips of her toes, kissing her murderer softly on the lips.

When she pulled away, her eyes were still tightly closed, the path of a tear marking its way from her lashes. "I'm sorry," she started, shakily. "I'm sorry… for everything Elmyra said about you in the past, I'm sorry I didn't trust you, or your… affiliation… and I'm so sorry for everything I could never say to you."

Aerith took a deep breath, wiping her eyes with a finger. "…I still love you, Zack… the only true regret I have is that I ever let you go…"

And with that she left, padding softly down her hallway, leaving both Zack and Sephiroth completely shocked.

__

/--H… how did she… **WHAT**?!--/

__

/…Zackary…/

/--…yeah?--/

/…I forgot to tell Sora…/

--------

Finally, he was able to rest. Wiping the gooey black ooze from his Keyblade, Riku went around to collect the items the mutated race of Shadows had left behind, glad for that battle to be over. While fighting the stronger breed of Heartless improved his natural skill and strength indefinitely, that didn't change the fact that it was still hard work, and that he could get hurt from it.

Unscrewing the cap of a Hi-Potion, the silver-haired teen continued his search for shelter as he chugged it down, thankful the reenergizing liquid did its job time and time again.

Jumping into the literal mass of Darkness dropped him into that world. At the time, he hadn't really wondered _where_ the vortex would leave him. Come to think of it, he hadn't really wondered at _all_ about the consequences. He could just feel Sora in there, and he needed to do something…

He didn't know how long he had been in that place, with its tall, looming skyscrapers, dimly buildings plastered with glowing neon signs… it was always nighttime, the sky always dreary and dark. Not to mention the terrible weather the world had, prone to torrential rain and lightning storms, and its constant chilliness… definitely a far cry from Destiny Island.

And… he hadn't seen anyone else yet… no one else the _entire_ time. Nothing but the wicked-looking Shadows… those couldn't have been the only things alive there other than him, could they…?

Suddenly, Riku wished he had never longed to get off that island. Yes, he had gotten adventure, but… for what price?

Coming to the entrance of a seemingly abandoned house, the silver-haired teen gave the surrounding a quick once-over for any evidence of lurking Heartless, but found none. The last fight had taken care of most of them, for now.

Riku stepped inside and dropped his pack on the floor… and blinked.

While the building appeared to be too run-down to inhabit, apparently he was wrong. It was junky on the inside, true, but it looked lived-in. A rumpled blanket was laid down in the corner of the front room with a sack at one end, probably used as a pillow, or so Riku guessed. The drab wallpaper was torn and peeling, some nearly all the way from the ceiling to the floor.

Disregarding the fact that he was, technically, an intruder in someone's home, Riku ventured further into the domicile, ears on high alert, listening for any sound at all. He walked down a short hallway which was bare save two doors, one on either side.

"…hello?" The teen frowned upon receiving no answer to his call.

Deciding that he wasn't going to leave until someone returned, Riku made his way towards the door on the right. He paused in front of it, one ear and one hand pressed onto the ratty wood, the other hand on the doorknob, he listened for any sounds of movement.

Nothing.

Well.

The hinges creaked as it opened, but that was alright. It had broken the silence anyway, as obnoxious as the noise was. Being alone was unnerving, even for Riku, if all one had for company were the sounds of their own self.

Riku raised his eyebrow, partially amused. The door only opened to a bathroom. For some reason, he hadn't expected a bathroom to be in the place. It was dingy, but curiously unused, and, upon quick inspection… was definitely nothing special.

The door on the left, however, was a lot more interesting.

Notes, notes and more notes littered a desk in the middle of the room, all of them mixed in with blank pieces of paper and envelopes, stamped with some strange seal. Riku squinted and held one of the envelopes up next to the single window on the far wall, a dim stream of light pouring in. The seal on the green paper just looked like three circles stuck together; and, like the bathroom, was definitely nothing special.

Letting the envelope drop carelessly on the ground, Riku sighed heavily and looked out the window. Raindrops were spattering against the glass and the pane, and though he was glad for having shelter, he _wasn't_ glad that he was alone in the house. And as far as he could see down the street, there wasn't a body in sight.

"…looks like I've got time to kill," the teen muttered, crossing his arms irately. It was maddening to think how he had gone through the Darkness to look for Sora, when the boy obviously wasn't there… well, where _he_ was.

Sora…

Riku sat in the chair behind the desk and fished out a blank piece of paper from the pile, taking a fountain pen from its ink well. He gave one last glance towards the door, was greeted to nothing as he expected, and set about on his task.

—_Dear Sora,_—

"…stupid…" He crumpled up the paper and grabbed another piece.

—_Sora,_

I know you aren't going to get this, let alone read it, but… I figured I'd write it anyway…—

Riku frowned reflectively, lips pursed. "…might as well tell the truth…"

—_…if only to clear my conscience than anything else._

…I'm weak, Sora. I've always been weak, even back home. You were the better one of the two of us, you know… so what if I was better at fighting, or if I could run faster, or if I was stronger than you? None of that meant anything. It still means nothing, probably now more than ever.

I get why the better Keyblade chose you, and not me. I'm… stupid. Mentally, I'm just so… weak.—

The silver-haired teen worried at this lower lip, tapping the end of the pen to his chin. "Oh, _this_ letter's a real ego boost…" Riku chuckled and pushed his bangs out of his eyes.

—_I know, if you could read this, that you'd probably yell at me for sayin' that stuff… you're predictable like that, you know. …just kidding._

But it's the truth… about me, I mean. Before all this happened… when I first wished to get off the island, with you and Kairi, when the Darkness started working me over…—

Riku paused, making a face.

—_…you know what? I don't even know what I'm trying to say there, just yet… just forget it…_

Sora… I used to wonder why the Darkness chose me, and not you or Kairi. Like… we all wanted to leave and see what was out there, you know? So… why did it go after me? Because I wasn't afraid of it? I was so dumb… how could I have been afraid of something I didn't know anything about? But…

All I knew was that I… wanted it. It felt… I dunno… good. I know that's weird…

The Darkness… Ansem—

Riku wrote the name out with a sneer,

—_promised me escape from Destiny Islands, said that I could explore wherever I wanted. And I wanted us to do it together, Sora… that's why I offered you my hand. Don't get me wrong, I love Kairi to death, and she's a great friend, but… I have to be honest with you…_

…I love you more, Sora.

I was going to tell you, you know, before the raft was finished… I tried, but I could never get the words out. I knew you didn't like me that way, but I just wanted you to know… I couldn't tell you. So I tried dropping hints, but that didn't work… not when I handed you the Paopu, anyway… you looked so confused when I gave it to you…

I love your naivety… it's cute…

When the Darkness came and you stared at me, you looked… so concerned about me. Even more concerned than when Kairi almost drowned during that freak storm… you remember that, right?

You looked like you really cared about me… maybe even loved me.

But I know that was wishful thinking… I realize you like Kairi, and not me, but my heart doesn't care about what my head knows…

Then I offered you my hand, remember? I think I said I loved you, too… and I thought, if you took it, that you heard me, and that would've proven that you cared for me, too, even if you didn't… but I figured, after we traveled to another world together - just you and me - that I could… you know… make you love me…

When I saw you reach out to me, I was so happy… even though I knew it was just because you didn't want me to get hurt. After all, you didn't know what taking my hand would've ended in…

Now do you get it? My selfishness fucked all three of us over, Sora. I fucked up. I fucked us up. See? I told you that you were the stronger one. At least you're able to look past your own needs and take care of others…

Before Ansem took me over, while you were out there, actually doing something, do you know what I was up to? I ran errands for Maleficent, I captured a few Princesses of Hearts… I did my chores and I was rewarded for them like a puppy. But I was so lonely, Sora…

Don't ask, but… if you ever meet a man named Sephiroth… tell him I admire his loyalty…

I hope you realize it wasn't me who did (most) of those things to you… I can't apologize to you enough for my stupidity, but I can try.

You won't see this, but… I'm sorry, Sora. I'm so, so sorry for being me. I'm sorry I love you… because you don't deserve that from someone like me. I'm glad you don't love me like I love you, because I don't deserve it from someone like you. I'm sorry. I'm sorry…

I hope you and Kairi will be happy together. Actually, I know you will be… but Sora… promise me.

Take care of her, and just forget about me.

Well… I guess that's all, for now… anyway… I miss you, Sora, I miss Kairi, I miss home… but I'll be fine.

I love you, my Light.

Yours forever,  
Riku—

The teen wiped at his eyes and sighed, replacing the pen in the well. He addressed the envelope out of habit, despite the fact that Sora would never get it. Riku was about to seal it when he stopped for a moment, and removed the pen again.

—_PS: What's the score now?_—

"Uhm, 'scuse me, but uh… you're Riku, aren'cha?"

The teen jumped and whirled around, accidentally dropping the freshly-stuffed envelope on the floor, and stared.

"…what… I mean, _who_ the hell are _you_?"

----------------------

A/N: Miniscule, 20-word revision 7/12/04.

Yes, Jen disregarded the whole 'Hollow Bastion was our childhood home' thing. I FELT LIKE IT LEMME ALONE. There was no other way to write this fic if I didn't use like, major references to FF7, so…

…I LOATHE THE AERISEPH PAIRING. But, Aeris/Zack is a game canon, and since Zack is **in** Seph, well, I had to… because we all know (FF7) Aeris has her special ability to --know-- things, yes? Bah.

—Platitudinal: Dull and tiresome but with pretensions of significance or originality (in other words, corny).

—K'sottare no baka yarou-kusai: Stupid motherfucking asshole. …maybe. I don't usually enjoy seeing Japanese in fanfics, but I figure it like this… Wutai is the FF7 world's equivalent to Japan. Yuffie is Wutaian. She wanted to insult Sephiroth badly and without anyone knowing it, therefore lapses into, ta-da, Wutaian.


	17. Part Sixteen

**__**

WARNING: This chapter contains SEPHIROTH x CLOUD CITRUS. Don't wanna read it? Then skip over, like, the whole last half of the chapter. …seriously. .;;

****

Part Sixteen

__

//-All I ever wanted was you  
My love,  
You're all I ever wanted,  
You, my love.-  
-"Bury Me Deep Inside Your Heart", HIM-//  
------------------

Cloud nearly jumped Sephiroth as soon as the older man appeared in the doorway of the formerly vacant-looking house, holding the Buster Sword in one hand, but he refrained, even though his entire body was keyed up in curiosity; although it had been sorely tempting, he had respected the boundaries of privacy and resisted the urge to spy… mainly, by pacing back and forth the entire time right outside the gates to Second.

He didn't want to get out of earshot in case someone started screaming, after all… maybe leaving Aerith and Sephiroth alone was a bad thing to do…

…not that he expected them to fight or anything. And Cloud assumed that Aerith wouldn't do anything _too _drastic, if it came down to it… or so he hoped.

"So… that was quick," the blonde commented, trying his best to keep his voice light and unconcerned as he walked over to Sephiroth.

Of course, the other man caught onto his feigned nonchalance, as evidenced by the look on Sephiroth's face. The older man hadn't called him on it, though, only relinquished control of the sword to its rightful owner. "That it was. And no, you've nothing to worry about," he added, answering the question he saw forming on Cloud's lips.

"Still… what happened? Did she say anything?" The blonde frowned, pressing a knuckle to his lips. "…she can get sort of… angry, sometimes… if she hears something she doesn't like… so…"

"As I've said, there's nothing wrong." Sephiroth smirked down at the younger man and toyed with one long, wayward spike on the side of Cloud's face. "I just have to be on my best behavior is all."

"…she didn't do anything, then?"

The silver-haired one stiffened slightly. Surely Cloud hadn't seen the girl kiss him… well, not him, exactly, but _Zack_… even if he did, Sephiroth didn't know how he could have possibly explained it, nor how he could explain why Zack was with him in the first place… it would be nearly impossible. Hell, even _Zack_ couldn't explain his presence - or _wouldn't_ explain it, being the stubborn ass he was - clearer than 'because you need me'.

How Sephiroth still supposedly 'needed' Zack was a mystery as well… he guessed that in time Zack would step up to fill him in and stop being a tease about it all, but for now, all Sephiroth was able to do was wait and deal with his former friend.

He shook his head, smiling lightly. The look on the blonde's face was one of genuine curiosity, not accusation, and Sephiroth took it as a sign that Cloud hadn't seen anything at all.

"No, she didn't 'do' anything, either. On the contrary, really. She's a rather… _genial_ woman… surprisingly so," he added, regretfully.

"Yeah, I know… if it hadn't been for you, I think…"

Cloud looked away and crossed his arms, frowning as he trailed off. He hadn't meant to say the sentiment out loud, or at least not in the way it came out, so accusingly… this wasn't the same Sephiroth as back then. Cloud was surprised the other man even remembered what he'd done, let alone regretted it… but he didn't mean it that way, at least not totally… only that maybe, if he was never with Sephiroth in the first place, then he and Aerith… maybe…

"…nevermind," the blonde murmured, waving his hand, "it's nothing."

"That didn't sound like 'nothing'…"

"…even if it's not, would you _want_ me to tell you?" Cloud bit his lip and shook his head, bitterly. "Look… it's in the past, anyway… you're alive, _she's_ alive, it doesn't matter anymore so just… forget about it, alright?"

"Cloud…"

The blonde stepped forward and pulled Sephiroth into a tight embrace, tucking his head under the taller man's chin. "Gods, just shut _up_ already…"

Cloud sighed as Sephiroth hesitantly put an arm around him, the ex-General uncertain if it was the right thing to do. He wasn't quite sure how to take what Cloud was telling him; on one hand the mercenary was absolving him of blame, allowing him forgiveness that Sephiroth knew he didn't deserve. He should have been grateful for that, but it felt very _wrong_ for Cloud to excuse him so quickly…

…not to mention _Aerith_… that girl really must love Cloud, if she was willing to even consider granting Sephiroth some sort of forgiveness…

But it all felt _wrong_ to him. Sephiroth knew he deserved at least _some_ sort of punishment for the crimes he committed, under Jenova's influence or no - and yet the people he hurt the most during that time were just letting it _go_…?

"Why… would you do this…?" the older man asked, quietly. "Any of you…"

Cloud looked up and frowned. "What're you talking about?"

"Why do you…" Sephiroth paused, searching for the right words, "…_trust_ me? How can you accept me back into your life so quickly…?"

"…didn't I tell you to shut up about this?" The blonde took Sephiroth's face in his hands, forcing him to look the smaller one in the eyes. "Because I love you, Seph… and that's all there is to it."

Sephiroth sighed heavily, shaking his head as he ran one hand up the blonde's arm, placing it upon Cloud's clawed hand.

He knew it was silly to dwell on it, seeing as Cloud already dismissed him of the blame… Zack forgave him as well, and Aerith was working on it, it seemed, so why couldn't he forgive _himself_? Or even simply be content with the fact that they had the _capacity_ to forgive, and to hell with what his own conscience felt…

Did he _want_ to be blamed, or punished, or…?

"…you're thinking about it again," Cloud stated, pulling Sephiroth from his depressive inner musing, "stop."

The silver-haired man shrugged. "It can't be helped." Sephiroth chuckled lightly, "I believe I'll feel this remorse for the rest of my life, so perhaps you'd better get used to it."

"So from now on you'll be wallowing in self-pity?" Cloud raised an eyebrow. "You know, I think I'd rather have you insane again than seeing you more depressed than _Vincent_…"

"…that is _not_ funny."

The blonde sighed heavily, fingering the straps across Sephiroth's chest, and frowned. "I know… I _know_, but… Seph, come on… what more do you want me to _tell_ you? That I'm angry with you? That I hate you, that… _what_? What do you want me to _say_…?"

To be honest, Sephiroth had no idea at _all_ how to answer the other man's question; but then again, how could he answer when he didn't even know _what_ he wanted? He thought it would be forgiveness, first and foremost… but he was getting that, and it just wasn't _enough_, at least not enough to quell that pull at his conscience, ever-present and grating. Sephiroth was violently angry at himself for failing so many, but those very people wiping his slate clean, giving him a fresh start without even _asking_ him to redeem himself…

…it just _wasn't right_.

Of course, the ex-General mused with a mirthless grin, nothing was ever quite right when it came to himself, was it? Maybe he was just doomed to be screwed forever, a victim by his own design. Only now, he had Cloud again to suffer along with him.

"Cloud… I don't deserve your affection," Sephiroth stated quietly, "at _all_, you realize." _/Because I will do nothing but drag you down with me…/_

"…yeah, I've heard… but I don't deserve yours either, do I?" The blonde stopped to chuckle darkly. "Face it… we're _both_ hopeless fuck-ups, Seph, but there's no way to keep us apart…" Cloud paused, gesturing to their respective wings, "we're _always_ gonna be linked, regardless of what has and what will happen… so why does it _matter_ what we think we may or may not deserve?"

Sephiroth tilted his head back, looking down his nose at the younger man in mock disgust. "Meaning, I'm stuck with you."

"Whether you like it or not? Basically, yeah." Cloud smirked as he grabbed Sephiroth's gravity-defying bangs in either hand and pulled his head down for a quick kiss. "Don't sound _too_ broken up over it."

"I'm trying to keep myself together, truly." The blonde rolled his eyes.

"You're an ass, Seph…"

Sephiroth gave a thin smile and let his arms fall around the shorter man's waist, moving his face close enough to Cloud's so their noses were touching. "Yet you still love me."

"Of course," the mercenary stated rather proudly, "why _else_ do you think you're alive right now?"

Immediately, Cloud felt Sephiroth stiffen and cursed lightly to himself. He wasn't sure exactly how much Sephiroth knew of his deal with Hades, or under the circumstances the contract went under, but figured none of it bore any weight anymore, really.

Yes, Hades had helped him find the silver-haired one, offhand as it was… and even though Cloud's contract folded, the god of the Underworld hadn't come to take Sephiroth's life away, though - legally, Cloud supposed, however strongly legal bindings held in a contract with the undead - he had the right to do so…

…then there was the 'Hades Cup' to think about… the shrouded god would be participating in the tournament, as Cloud was supposed to with Leon, if the brunette still wanted to do so, all things considered… and Cloud was uneasy - to say the very least - about meeting up with Hades again, especially with Sephiroth at his side, the payment for a job left unfinished.

The blonde had no doubt in his mind that Hades would try and pull something else for Cloud's failure, too. Maybe not Cerberus again - well, damn well _likely_ not Cerberus again… - but… _something_.

"…I don't want to talk about that yet, okay?" the blonde murmured upon sensing Sephiroth's obvious disapproval, frowning. "Later. We'll talk about Hades… and the contract… all of that, I promise. But… later."

But Sephiroth was reluctant to let the matter drop.

"You seem so frightened over this," Sephiroth stated quietly, perceptive as ever, and Cloud wanted to scream at the other man for that ability to… _know_. "…why?"

The blonde shook his head, unsure of how to answer. After all, he didn't even know if Hades would even care anymore about what happened, or if he would want revenge, or even bother to look twice at him, so how could he tell Sephiroth exactly what was troubling him…?

But what Cloud knew for certain was he did _not_ want to lose Sephiroth again, not _ever_, either physically or mentally; and if Hades threatened Sephiroth's life or anything else… if a consequence to keeping Sephiroth safe meant Cloud would have to go so far as reinstating his contract with the god of the Underworld, becoming a puppet again for the Darkness… he would, in a heartbeat, for Sephiroth's sake.

He didn't think that would truly be the case, though, as Cloud was sure the god found him severely incompetent by that point, therefore wouldn't want his assistance anymore _anyway_, but… if it ever did come down to that… if Cloud could use himself as a bargaining chip to keep Sephiroth by his side and away from Hades, then… so be it.

…but what if it came down to that, but Hades didn't _want_ Cloud back even if he offered? What if the god just decided to take Sephiroth regardless of what Cloud did? No matter the amount of begging, bargaining, anything… what would he do _then_? Hades was strong and merciless, despite his seemingly friendly nature, and would no doubt have zero qualms about punishing Cloud for his own inability to follow a simple order…

"It's…" The mercenary stopped and shook his head, pulling himself away from Sephiroth's embrace. "Not now, Seph… I _just_ got you back, I _don't_… want to _think_ about that right now…"

The older man frowned and touched the fretting blonde lightly on the arm; Sephiroth had a feeling the younger man wasn't quite talking about just the contract anymore, judging by the way he was acting…

"Cloud, what's wrong…?"

"Promise me you won't leave me again," Cloud said suddenly, turning his blue eyes up to meet Sephiroth's, "_ever_… no matter what, just… promise me."

Sephiroth simply stared at him.

"Give me your word, Seph…"

The mercenary's request was desperate, and Cloud knew it, but he couldn't help himself. There was a fear inside and he couldn't shake it, it growing impossibly stronger, the sickening pull intense, even though there was nothing to prove those fears, nothing but 'what-ifs' and paranoid speculation…

"…and your heart."

He didn't mean for it to be anything romantic, and he was sure Sephiroth could tell that from the tone in his voice… it was just that Cloud _knew_. He knew that if Hades _was_ to take Sephiroth, the silver-haired man's heart would _never_ survive the Darkness as Cloud's own had…

The mercenary suspected his heart was only able to survive in the Darkness due to the hardships he went through 'back then', when he somehow managed to keep a sense of himself even when Jenova's pull was at its strongest. But Sephiroth himself hadn't been able to resist, and that fact was what worried the blonde the most… the silver-haired man, loathe as Cloud was to admit, was… easily persuaded… and the blonde didn't want Sephiroth to lose his heart. He didn't want Sephiroth to lose his _mind_.

Cloud didn't want to lose _Sephiroth_.

Plus, if Sora could possess Kairi's heart… who's to say Cloud couldn't keep Sephiroth's safe as the Keybearer had…?

"Cloud," Sephiroth murmured, loosening the blonde's white-knuckled grip on his jacket, "you're frantic… what _is_ it?"

"_Please_."

The silver-haired man's jaw slackened slightly as Cloud stared at him with those large, penetrating blue eyes, completely unable to read anything in them beyond that _fear_…

"…of course…," he said quietly, as if his normal tone was somehow too harsh for such a response, "of _course_, Cloud, I promise… what—?"

Cloud didn't let the other man finish, simply rushed in to pull Sephiroth down for a kiss.

The emotion - no, the _insistence _- behind the caress was startling, to say the least, its intensity nearly knocking Sephiroth to his knees. The kiss itself was needy and absolutely powerful beyond reasoning, and the silver-haired man knew that this time _Cloud_ was the one in control, the one kissing _him_, and Sephiroth wasn't exactly sure how comfortable he was with the suddenness of it all…

Cloud made a disappointed groan in the back of his throat as Sephiroth broke away to stare straight into his eyes. "Why'd you stop…?"

Sephiroth opened his mouth to speak but quickly found he _had_ no good reason to speak of as for why he stopped, other than the fact that he was - admittedly - a dominance-hog, of course, and he knew without a shadow of a doubt that Cloud wasn't going to let _that_ excuse slide…

So instead of answering, Sephiroth lowered his head, placing one hand on Cloud's cheek and the other at the small of his back before pressing his mouth against the younger man's. The blonde leaned into the kiss, burying his unclawed hand in Sephiroth's hair as he eagerly opened his mouth to deepen the exchange.

--------

Yuffie groaned when she saw Sephiroth lean down to kiss Cloud again. She finished with her shopping trip with Kairi a while ago and dropped the girl off at the Hotel where the ninja had managed to hustle up a room for the redhead to stay, but the spunky Wutaian just-so-happened to stumble upon the two men loitering outside her home, talking about… something or another, she wasn't really paying attention.

And, being the - ahem! - considerate girl she was, Yuffie decided not to impose upon their private discussion, so she took a hiding spot behind a crate beside one of her neighbor's houses, opting to wait for them to leave before venturing back to her humble abode.

…but, lo and behold, she was still waiting - and had been for several long, _long_ minutes - for the two men - her former leader and their ex-_enemy_! What the _hell_, it was still **_weird_**!! - to stop making out long enough to step away from the building. All Yuffie wanted to do was just step out of her hiding place, go home, shower, and take a long, long rest.

But noooo, Cloud and Sephiroth had to go and decide to keep on sucking face instead of moving their horny asses.

The teenage ninja slumped down against the crate and sighed heavily, toying with the edge of her shuriken as she damned herself for being so freakin' nice and thoughtful all the time. If she hadn't been, at least she'd be all cozy and comfy and clean and _asleep_ by now…

…life really _sucked_ sometimes.

--------

As their tongues entwined, Sephiroth slid his gloved hands down the smaller man's back and unhooked the hip armor from Cloud's right side, dropping it solidly to the ground with a 'thunk'. With the offending metal plate gone, Sephiroth cupped Cloud's backside and pulled the blonde mercenary up to mold their bodies together, his long, silver hair spilling over both of their shoulders, Cloud throwing his arms around Sephiroth's neck.

"Are you better now…?"

Cloud nodded, resting his head on the taller man's shoulder armor. "I guess… I'm just tired of all this bullshit, Seph… you know? Just… everything… don't want to think about it anymore right now… deal with it later…"

"I'm so sorry for what I've done, Cloud," Sephiroth whispered, lips against the other man's, and the blonde shook his head.

"Don't…," Cloud scolded, voice soft, "I told you, no more of that… I'm not blaming you, so just stop." He kissed Sephiroth again, hungrily.

Finally Sephiroth pulled away, letting his mouth and light flicks of his tongue trail a delicate line from the other man's lips all the way to his ear. "I do love you," he murmured, lips brushing slightly against the shell of Cloud's ear, warm breath rustled loose pieces of golden hair, "very much."

"Yeah…"

"I want to _make_ love to you, Cloud," Sephiroth stated, voice hushed, "but if you need time, or if you prefer we get better reacquainted first, I'll understand."

"No, I don't need any time; I want to… we _need_ to, I think." The younger man turned his head, kissing Sephiroth again before bending to retrieve his fallen armor and taking his partner by the hand. "Come with me."

The silver-haired one raised his eyebrow in question but followed obediently. "And just where do you think you're leading me?"

"To the Hotel, obviously…" Cloud turned around and smirked. "Or would you rather we go at it right in front of Yuffie's house while the girl herself is staring at us?"

At Sephiroth's confused expression, Cloud spun him around and waved his clawed hand at a very embarrassed, red-faced, wide-eyed little ex-Materia thief. "What's up, Yuffie."

"…………I **_DIDN'T_** SEE YOU GUYS **_GROPING_** EACH OTHER OR **_MAKING OUT_ **OR _ANYTHING_, I **_SWEAR_**!!"

--------

A short walk and several Heartless battles later, the two winged men arrived at the grand, luxurious Second District Hotel…

…where they were harshly admonished by an uptight, sleepy concierge after repeatedly dinging the bell at the front desk, consequently interrupting his precious slumber in a curtained-off room just behind the reception desk. Apparently, they had been in too much of a hormonally-driven hurry to miss the large, blazing neon sign just outside the building which stated - quite boldly - 'NO VACANCY', as well as the neat little sign hung in the window of reception.

Cloud grumbled loudly as they left the Hotel premises, clawed hand raking through his hair in hopelessness. He didn't know any place in Traverse Town where they could stay except for one… and the blonde was _damn_ sure Leon wasn't going to allow any acts like what _they_ were planning in his house.

…hell, Cloud couldn't even remember _Leon_ bringing anyone home - well, except for himself, and it definitely hadn't been for _that_ sort of thing… at least, not on _purpose_…

"Is there anywhere else to go?" the older man asked after a while, 'the mood' fading fast in their rising dawn of 'desperation'.

"…I'm working on it," Cloud muttered sullenly, taking a seat on a nearby bench.

"Where was it you've been staying, again?"

The blonde covered his face with his hand and sighed. "I said… I've been with Leon…"

"…oh." Sephiroth honestly couldn't remember when that information had been divulged, but then again, admittedly, he _was_ rather distracted at the time he assumed Cloud had probably told him. "I see." He shook his head and flicked a lock of silver over his shoulder, gracefully setting himself down next to the shorter man. "We can't go _there_, then."

"But see… Aerith and Yuffie don't have enough room for us to stay with them," the blonde pointed out, "…not that I want to have sex in their house _anyway_…" Cloud massaged his temples and sighed. "And Cid's place… that's _definitely_ out… plus, I don't think he'd even let you in there again, at least not for a while…"

Sephiroth raised an eyebrow. "And the Garage?" The blonde gave him a sarcastic look.

"I am _not_ fucking on oily newspaper."

"Prospective activities aside," the older man began, dead serious, "I will not resort to sleeping in alleyways." Sephiroth playfully ticked the tip of blonde's nose. "So, you'd better come up with something else, Strife, because I've nowhere for us to go."

After a long while of mental debate, Cloud shrugged in defeat. "I can't…"

Noticing the blonde was withholding something - though he had a good idea what the answer would be - Sephiroth urged, "…except…?"

Glowing blue met bright aqua as Cloud looked Sephiroth square in the eyes, beseechingly. "Well… _Leon's_."

The taller man shook his head, to which the blonde huffed. "I _know_ you don't want to, Seph, but you said yourself, 'I will not resort to sleeping in alleyways'," Cloud quoted, taking on his best 'Sephiroth' voice.

"Don't you _mock_ me," Sephiroth warned, crossing his arms.

The blonde rolled his eyes. "Whatever, _I'm_ not the one who said it." He paused, gesturing futilely before he went on. "Look… I don't _know_ anyone else here, Seph, and since the Hotel's not an option… unless you can somehow fly a Gummi to another world, we have to go to Leon's… or at least _try_, anyway," came the afterthought.

Sephiroth was glaring, but he realized it was completely useless to try and debate any longer. As much as he hated it, the final choices came down to either Leon's or the Garage… or an alleyway. And he agreed with Cloud - he didn't want to lay on oily newspapers, either, if Highwind would allow him even _that_ luxury.

…and, for whatever reason, he always had a great aversion to alleyways…

Reluctantly, Sephiroth conceded. After all, he didn't even know what a 'Gummi' _was_, let alone how to _drive_ one, and he wasn't too sure he wanted to chance using a portal anymore, unstable as the Darkness had obviously become.

Still glaring, he muttered, "very well… _Leon's_ it is."

Cloud gave the other man a grateful smile and a short peck on the lips. "Thanks, Seph…"

--------

Leon looked up from his spot at the kitchen table, stopping the bored drum of his fingers as he heard the turn of the doorknob at the entrance to his house. He had been waiting for the better half of the night - or what was equivalent to night in Traverse Town - for Cloud to come back with… _him_.

There was just _something_ about Sephiroth that he didn't like, something that just felt _wrong_ somehow, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. It was frustrating to have that sensation when Leon had nothing to really base it on, since he was still quite unaware of the true extent of Sephiroth's crimes.

And even _if_ he was unaware of what really happened, he doubted that would truly affect what he felt about the man _now_… he felt empathy for his friends, no doubt, but that wouldn't corrupt his _own_ judgment…

So what was it about Sephiroth, then, that got his back up? The eyes? The coldness? The wing?

Then again… _Cloud_ had a wing and didn't give off that disturbing aura. And Leon even knew that the blonde _did_ have something wrong with him in the past, having sided with the Darkness and all for a good chunk of time… not to mention Cloud's heart still belonged to himself, untouched by the Darkness even though he was so close to it…

But even despite Cloud's former association, Leon felt a sort of immediate comradery, or at least kinship between the two of them - both of them nothing but reluctant, wannabe loners without their respective Lights. Or at least, _were_… Cloud's Light came back to him.

Against his will, Leon suspected he _could_ possibly chalk his dislike for Sephiroth up to jealousy… but that was stupid…

He didn't have anything to be jealous _of_… what happened between he and Cloud was nothing, absolutely _nothing_, just a stupid, one-time thing, a mix of loneliness and need for something like companionship - only for that moment, something as more than friends.

That. Was. _All_.

Nothing else.

__

Nothing.

What Leon knew for certain was that thinking of both Cloud and Sephiroth made his head ache. Sephiroth, on the one hand, was like confusion incarnate, a walking pile of questions just waiting to be answered, and Leon didn't think he was up to taking on the task of even attempting to figure the man out just yet. As for _Cloud_…

…well… the ex-SeeD didn't want to think about Cloud anymore that night.

And besides… Cloud was happy to have Sephiroth back - _regardless_ of whatever went on with that group in the past in their own world - and the brunette wondered if he should just let things be as they were and follow Cloud's example of blindly trusting the silver-haired man.

Though when he looked up to see a familiar set of blonde spikes poke through the doorway followed closely by that long, glittering mane of silver, Leon knew he couldn't do that.

Something was… _off_ about Sephiroth, and he didn't like it at all.

--------

Cloud started, quickly dropping Sephiroth's hand as he spotted Leon sitting at the kitchen table, arms crossed, simply watching the two of them as they passed through the doorway. The gunblade wielder didn't look angry at all, merely contemplative in his silence, and Cloud didn't know if he should heave a sigh of relief for that or be very, very worried.

"Hey, Leon… were you waiting up for us, or…?"

The brunette gave a small shrug. "I figured you two would end up back here, so yeah, I suppose I was."

"Oh…"

"Anyway… I'm going to keep this brief. I want you both to know," Leon started, uncrossing his arms before folding them again, "that I…" He paused, swallowing thickly, and frowned, carefully measuring his words before he went on.

"…that I personally don't have a problem with… this. Situation, I mean." The ex-SeeD gestured back and forth between the other men, referring to their relationship, before looking over at Sephiroth, brown hair falling into his eyes, and immediately his expression switched over to a cold, semi-glare.

"I don't know what _you've_ done in the past or why, but, I'd like to think Strife and I are… friends." The brunette shook his head, carefully measuring his words as he spoke. "And I already know… that you're…," he waved a hand in lazy circles on his wrist, face turning away.

"…that you're the one… he says is his Light, so I'm going to trust his judgment - for _now_." Leon brought his head up, eyebrows drawn together. The tanned fighter looked more than slightly angered, but for whatever the reason…

Sephiroth cast his blonde a sidelong glance, the smaller man simply looking up at Leon and listening intently, and the oldest man suppressed the urge to growl.

"And while I _don't _know _you_," Leon said slowly, his words careful and directed only to Sephiroth, "I can't judge you by what you've done before, as I've only heard what the _others_ have told me, but I _will_ be judging you on what I see from this point forward."

His greyish blue eyes darted back and forth between them as he went on. "At any rate, you two can stay here for the time being - but _don't_ cause any trouble around here or I'll be personally escorting you _both_ out of Traverse Town, riding my gunblade.

"…I just thought I'd tell you." And with that, Leon quickly pushed himself up from his seat and gave the other men a short nod before retreating to his bedroom.

"…thanks, Leon," Cloud said to the brunette's back in a voice caught somewhere between absolute relief and total confusion. When their host was out of sight, the blonde turned towards Sephiroth's direction and looked at him with both eyebrows drawn together, frowning. "…really, he's not usually… _that_ cold…"

The silver-haired man shrugged. "Of course not. He _likes_ you."

"What do you mean he 'likes me'?" Sephiroth stared at him.

"…you can't tell me you don't _see_ it…?"

Cloud's frown went on to deepen to the point where Sephiroth could drown in it. "See _what_…?"

"Cloud…" Sephiroth's voice was a warning.

"…you… oh come _on_, you can't mean…" The blonde's jaw went slack for a moment before Cloud gave an incredulous laugh. What Sephiroth was suggesting… "You… gods, I don't believe you could even _think_ that…"

Sephiroth simply shrugged.

"I… he's… Seph, he's _straight_…"

And again, Sephiroth shrugged.

Cloud stared at him. "_What_?"

"It's nothing… though how you can't see something so painfully obvious as _that_ is beyond me…," the silver-haired man murmured with a yet another jerk of his shoulders. "Though he may try all he likes, that will _never_ change the fact that you're mine."

"Seph, he doesn't _want me_, so will you just _stop_? You're being so fucking paranoid…"

Sephiroth raised his eyebrow, placing a hand on the blonde's face, and wondered how Cloud could be so dense… the way the brunette looked at him, and the glares he shot Sephiroth, not to mention what Cloud confessed had gone on between them, well…

But he shook his head, deciding to simply let the matter drop. It wasn't something he _wanted_ to concern himself with, but with that jealousy and over-protectiveness he had when it came to Cloud, Sephiroth couldn't help but find his already low opinion of their host dropping even more, under those new circumstances…

"…let's not dwell on this," Sephiroth advised quietly with a short intake of breath, talking more to himself than the younger man. "We've better things to think of right now, don't we?"

When Cloud leaned in to kiss him again, the older man stopped him bare millimeters away from his lips by planting a hand in the middle of his chest as he murmured determinedly, "however; first, we shower."

--------

The blonde waited and waited for _something_ to happen as the two stepped into the too-small bathroom and began undressing, armor clacking heavily on the linoleum floor and belts clinking, clothes rustling as they were removed, but Sephiroth went about the task unceremoniously and without fanfare as the water warmed up to his liking.

Needless to say, Cloud was a little disappointed at the inaction… not to mention the lack of even a little _striptease_…

…and that disappointment grew even more as Sephiroth actually began _bathing_, turning under the warm spray to drench his impossibly long hair; not even _seductively_, merely enough to wash it, and careful not to knock his folded wing into Leon's few toiletries.

"…are you simply going to stand there and gape, or are you going to join me?"

He rolled his blue eyes at the partially amused question, stepping slowly into the shower as Sephiroth poured nearly a half a bottle of shampoo onto his head, smirking at Cloud with one eyebrow raised, and began the arduous task of lathering his painfully long hair.

Sephiroth still had the smirk on his face as he shifted to allow the blonde access to the pounding water, and Cloud quickly soaped up and rinsed his perpetually unmanageable spikes, finishing in time to notice the older man was only about one-third of the way through with his _own_.

"Turn around, let me help with that or we're never gonna get out of here…"

Sephiroth complied, allowing the shorter one to work the shampoo into his glittering hair as he grabbed a bar of soap, washing what felt like years worth of sweat and gore and general unpleasantness from his body.

…actually, what really _was_ years worth of grime… he _was_ **_dead_**, after all…

Cloud rinsed Sephiroth's long hair thoroughly before letting his hands fall away, the dredged locks slapping against the back of Sephiroth's thighs. Briefly, Cloud wondered what it could possibly be like to have so much _hair_, heavy in his own hands and undoubtedly hell on the older man's neck - especially when _wet_. But it flowed when Sephiroth walked, and it _looked_ lighter than air…

And the wing… Cloud decided, as he took up a bottle of shampoo again and started to clean the midnight-black appendage, that Sephiroth's wing was _huge_. He was surprised that they could both fit in the shower together when the feathered wing - even when folded neatly against Sephiroth's _back_ - had a span almost as tall as Cloud himself.

Yet, Sephiroth carried both with ease just as he did everything else. Apparently, his wing didn't make _him_ feel less human… Cloud didn't doubt that the older man was most likely _proud_ of it, if anything, since Sephiroth made no move to hide it at all since he came back.

…not that he _could_ hide it…

Maybe, if their appendages - _curses_ - were switched, Cloud would be happy with the angel's wing as well… after all, it was absolutely _beautiful_, stunning beyond words, just as Sephiroth was, and fit his image perfectly, complementing everything about the man, from the clothes he wore all the way to his strong, regal stature.

Tentatively, Cloud again reached out and touched the slick midnight feathers again, watching as he ran his fingertips over the length of the wing. The dark plumes twitched as he passed over them and he noticed - with no small humor - that he had Sephiroth shuddering involuntarily under the treatment.

Cloud smiled lightly and ran his hand from the very top of the wing to the very bottom, harder this time, drops of water wringing out from the plumage underneath his palm. Sephiroth made a small noise in the back of his throat but didn't turn around, to the blonde's dismay, only continued washing himself - even though, Cloud noticed, he was just about as clean as he was going to get.

__

//You're playing with me, aren't you, Seph?//

Cloud didn't know how right he was.

The ex-General really was ready to ravage the blonde as soon as they stepped into Leon's house, but kept his need in check. Even though he wasn't fond of Leon at _all_ and growing even _less_ than that the more he thought of the situation, that didn't change the fact that the scarred man was still Cloud's… friend… and Sephiroth was well aware that Cloud didn't want to take advantage of the kindness - rather, extreme generosity - Leon already bestowed.

So Sephiroth hadn't moved on Cloud, even though he desperately wanted to, instead choosing to wait for Cloud to start anything - if he was comfortable with it, anyway…

Sephiroth smirked satisfactorily to himself as he felt Cloud press himself against the length of his wing and nuzzle it experimentally. He closed his blazing aqua eyes, absently wondering why _both_ of their respective wings were so damn sensitive to even the slightest touch. He supposed it would have been irritating if it didn't feel so… _good_…

"…Seph…," Cloud murmured quietly, resting both hands on the silver-haired man's hips, rubbing his cheek on the bluish-black feathers, "you're ignoring me."

"Am I?"

The tone of the taller man's voice was mildly curious and tinged with a bit of humor, but purposeful in meaning. It was obvious that Sephiroth _knew_ what Cloud wanted, yet the blonde had the distinct feeling that Sephiroth wasn't going to reciprocate until he himself did something.

__

//…well… don't want to disappoint him…//

"Yeah… and it's starting to piss me off." He let his hand slide over the other man's smooth, wet skin and rested it on Sephiroth's stomach, flat and sculpted and _perfect_, just like the rest of him. Sometimes, Cloud didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the fact that Sephiroth _was_ so, his looks absolutely breathtaking, and why - of all people - he would still want to be with _Cloud_, who didn't deserve him in the least…

"Oh, I hadn't noticed."

Cloud bit back a laugh at the heady response as he pressed himself closer to palm the older man's groin, pinning the angel wing between the two of them. "…I missed you," the blonde kissed a strong shoulder softly, "Sephiroth…"

Cloud said Sephiroth's name as if it was an incantation, murmured so quietly he almost had to strain to hear it. "I'm aware."

He let his head drop back as the blonde started to pull at his hardening flesh just slightly; while normally the too-gentle touches wouldn't have done much at all - besides annoy him more than anything for not being enough, that is - Sephiroth felt them ten-times over. It had been a _long_ time since he had been with _anyone_ this way, his entire body hypersensitive and yearning - and it seemed as if Cloud was the same way, Sephiroth noted at the hardness against his thigh.

The blonde breathed his name again and let Sephiroth go, turning him around before pulling him into a warm embrace. Sephiroth pushed away the spikes plastered to Cloud's face and kissed him once on the forehead before placing another on his lips, open-mouthed.

Not too long after, the older one pulled back and smirked, gazing at Cloud with half-lidded eyes as he asked, "what's this, are you trying to seduce me?"

The blonde frowned at him. "Well, yeah. Is it working?"

Sephiroth rubbed against him and took a pierced ear in his lips, working at the lobe with his teeth. He could practically feel Cloud's eyes rolling into the back of his head as he began to stroke the base of the wing completely opposite to his own, up to the spade at its juncture and then all the way down to Cloud's shoulder blade, and back up again. "Perhaps…"

"So why don't you do something about it?"

"Whatever happened to respecting Leon's home?"

Cloud flinched at the question. It wasn't meant to be spiteful or accusatory, he knew from the tone in Sephiroth's voice - more curious than anything, really - but it was a definite slap back to reality nonetheless. And basically, Cloud realized he had a somewhat - but not really - tough decision to make: take advantage of Leon's kindness… or, well, take advantage of _Sephiroth_.

After a short break for consideration the blonde murmured, "…we'll be quiet, then… right?"

Sephiroth arched a delicate eyebrow and smirked. As far as he could remember, Cloud never was the _quiet_ type… then again, the other man was much younger back in ShinRa, so who knew? Maybe Cloud would be less vocal, considering the years that passed, and turned him into a hardened warrior…

"…of course."

--------

Releasing the other man's heated kiss, Cloud pinned Sephiroth the best he could to the shower wall, nothing but lips and tongue as he made his way down the strong line of Sephiroth's chest and stomach, stopping for bare moments to tease the older man's nipples before dropping again. Sephiroth grabbed onto a towel bar behind him and watched intently as the blonde slowly descended - too slow, in Sephiroth's opinion, but who was he to rush things? - down his torso, well aware of where Cloud was going with this, and not at all eager to stop him.

The silver-haired man jerked forward and hissed when Cloud's mouth enveloped his arousal, unable to stop himself when that warm, wet heat was so welcoming, tightening his grip on the bar.

Cloud took hold of Sephiroth's hips and pushed them back against the cold tile, closing his eyes as he savored the heat, taste of the other man. He _never_ imagined he would ever be able to do something like this with Sephiroth again, ever, casting the final blow, killing him… it was devastating, but now…

He felt one of Sephiroth's hands thread into his hair as he coaxed, the pull of his lips and feel of his tongue causing the older man to alternate between gasps and low groans as he tasted, teasing…

"Cloud, stop…"

Pulling away just slightly, Cloud looked up to catch the gaze of lust-filled aqua eyes for bare moments before giving a small shake of his head and returning to his task, sucking with renewed vigor.

"…that's enough…" Sephiroth's voice lacked even the barest shred of conviction.

Cloud couldn't have stopped even if he wanted to, the other man's hand clamped upon his crown, leaving him with nowhere to go… but that was alright, he didn't plan on moving away anyway.

"…stop…"

Moments later, Sephiroth let out a long, throaty moan, clutching Cloud's hair tight as he let go in the younger one's mouth, ending that blissful torment, legs trembling beneath him. Easily the blonde plucked Sephiroth's fingers from his scalp and sat back to pass the back of his hand over his lips, and smirked up at him.

Sephiroth stood half-sagged against the wall with his mouth slightly slack, staring vacantly down at the younger man as his strong chest rose and fell with each slightly labored intake of breath.

"So… did you like that?"

The silver-haired man stared at him.

Cloud raised his eyebrow. "Well?"

"……the water's getting cold," Sephiroth absently murmured after allowing himself a short recovery, blindly reaching out for the knob to kill the spray as he kept that partial eye contact with the blonde.

"That's all you have to say?" Cloud shook his head and quickly pushed himself to his feet, leaning in to give Sephiroth a slow, lingering kiss.

"…I told you to stop…"

"Not very convincingly." Cloud pushed open the curtain. "And what, I don't get any thanks?"

"…be patient," the older man admonished in a hushed voice, stepping shakily out of the shower after the blonde and taking the proffered bath towel. He wrapped it twice around his waist before meanly stealing Cloud's as well, tossing it over his head to begin drying his own drenched hair. 

"…you stole my _towel_…"

Sephiroth snorted at the childish tone in the blonde's voice. "Then get another one. I believe I require this more than you."

With a mutter, the shorter man turned to grab a spare towel and throw it around himself, glaring at Sephiroth the best he could in his aroused state.

"Well then," the taller man started, curling his arms around Cloud's waist, "even though you didn't respect my wishes, I suppose you'd like your 'thanks' anyway…"

"It's the least you can do after snatching my towel," muttered a grumpy, still-sodden blonde. "Ungrateful bastard… I give you _head_ and you _take_ my _towel_… yeah, that's real fair…"

"You have one now, don't you?"

"Oh, shut up…"

Sephiroth pressed his lips into Cloud's shoulder, following it up by giving the blonde another kiss to his ear, then his temple, and finally the top of his head. Cloud rolled his eyes.

"Trying to suck up, huh?" Sephiroth nodded. "Then let's do this on the couch, linoleum is too hard on the knees."

The older man didn't even have a chance to reply to the unexpected remark as Cloud took his hand and literally dragged him from the bathroom, through the hallway of Leon's house and into the room where Cloud had taken up temporary residence, abandoning their respective pairs of clothes in a haphazard pile on the floor behind them.

"This is where you've been sleeping?" the ex-General asked, pulling the damp towel from his head and dropping it onto the wooden floor, eyeing the rather dull little room with no lack of curiosity.

Cloud shrugged, closing the door behind him. "Where did you _think_ I was sleeping, Leon's _bed_?"

__

//…not that I haven't…// came the rueful afterthought.

"Strange, is all…" _/Speaking of strange… Zackary hasn't said a word in a long while…/_ Sephiroth pushed the notion out of his head quickly and set his sights on Cloud, holding out a hand. "Come."

The blonde obeyed, stepping over to Sephiroth as he stood next to the couch and took the towel from around his waist, arms outstretched and beckoning Cloud into his welcome embrace.

Sephiroth unfolded his wing and sat back into the cushions, pulling the blonde into his lap. He cupped the back of Cloud's head to draw the smaller man down for a kiss, only to have it answered twice as eagerly when the he flicked open Cloud's towel and rocked the willing man in his lap.

"Do you have anything we can use?" the silver-haired man inquired quietly, one hand rubbing up and down Cloud's naked thigh, the other wound around his arousal, "I don't want to hurt you…"

"Yeah, I think… yeah, hold on." Cloud stood and made a short search through a sack filled with his supplies before pulling out a small blue vial, handing it over as he went back to the couch and straddled Sephiroth's legs once more. "Will that work?"

The silver-haired man quickly examined the vial and nodded. The liquid wasn't quite as good as real lubricant, but it was pretty close to the next best thing. Better than saliva or any _other_ impromptu lubrication, at least…

Sephiroth sat forward and kissed him, popping the cap of the Elixir to pour some of the bottle's contents into his palm. Cloud gasped and bit his lip as Sephiroth's hand returned to fist his length while the other snaked underneath him, prodding gently before one finger eased its way inside his body, the cold wetness of the Elixir tingling his sensitive flesh.

"Seph…"

"…do you want me to stop?" Sephiroth asked quietly upon catching the slight flinch on the younger man's face, "don't feel obligated to do this, Cloud…"

Cloud quickly shook his head. "No, it's alright… I want to… just forgot what that felt like…" The blonde shook his head again. "Keep going."

Sephiroth smiled lightly at him before he bent his head down, trailing his tongue along Cloud's collarbone and retracing the line with his lips. He buried his face into the blonde's neck, kissing and lapping at the indent of his throat as Cloud squirmed above him, lips pressed tightly together, doing his best to stay as quiet as possible.

The blonde winced as another digit snaked its way into him. "…okay… that one stings a little…" 

"I'm sorry… how long has it been for you again…?"

"…Nibelheim… but I wanted to… with Leon, I mean. _I_ wanted to… but we didn't—"

"I'll have to be more careful with you, then," Sephiroth cut him off, voice short and tainted with a blatant twinge of jealousy.

Instead of brooding, Sephiroth let his tongue prod at Cloud's lips as he teased and prepared the smaller man before pulling him into a deep, satisfying kiss. Cloud sighed, the older man's skillful tongue playing with his own, and moved back to pull in air through his teeth as the other man continued the task of stretching him, leaning in to nuzzle the curves of the blonde's neck and shoulder, sucking gently, marking him with a bruise that would only stay a few hours despite his best efforts.

"…that's enough, Seph…" Cloud announced a short while later, looking down at the man beneath him through hooded eyes as he pushed the silver silk away from Sephiroth's face. "Let's get this started already, okay? Please…"

With a short nod, Sephiroth eased the blonde onto the couch, turning him onto his stomach. "Propriety reasons," he murmured at Cloud's questioning gaze, "I would love to watch you, but I'm afraid it would be rather uncomfortable, considering…" The silver-haired man ran one hand along the length of the leathery wing for clarification as he trailed off.

"Yeah… alright."

Cloud sank his elbows into the couch and rested a cheek on his forearm, waiting with anticipation as Sephiroth coated his length with the remainder of the Elixir. The blonde felt his hips hiked up, repeatedly telling himself to relax as he felt Sephiroth kneel behind him, his long, damp hair dragging against his back.

"…I'm going to start, Cloud," the older man murmured with a low, husky voice, "…if I'm hurting you—"

"Yeah, I promise I'll say something…"

He clamped his eyes shut and nearly whimpered, shuddering as Sephiroth pressed against his entrance and began easing himself into Cloud's body, gently as he could, doing his best to be careful with the smaller man. Cloud gritted his teeth, clawing at the couch cushions as Sephiroth slowly inched his way into him.

Cloud felt amazing around him, a warmth pulsing with life and vitality, and Sephiroth couldn't suppress the groan which worked its way into his throat. But he wished he better prepared beforehand upon hearing the sharp intakes of breath from the man beneath him… "I'm not hurting you, am I…?"

"…just… go faster, okay?" Cloud followed the request up with a push against him, and the ex-General could do nothing but comply.

And then Sephiroth was deep inside, his steady hands burning hot on either side of Cloud's hips, thumbs gently kneading in attempt to sooth away the dully throbbing pain. Cloud couldn't deny that it _did _hurt - then again, it had always hurt him no matter _how_ ready he was - but for just to be with _Sephiroth_ again after six long years, he was more than willing to take that initial discomfort…besides, he was a fighter, he'd been through a _hell_ of a lot worse…

Cloud realized that physically, he sort of felt like a virgin again… except it didn't hurt _as_ much as it did that first time, and now he _knew_ that the ache would be gone with time. And while _this_ surrender wasn't the ultimate sacrifice as _that_ had been, he still felt as if he was giving himself to Sephiroth all over again… though, he supposed in a way he was, letting the man claim him in this new place, both with new _lives_…

He couple only hope that Hades wouldn't do anything to interfere… but then again, it wasn't too late for him to pull out of the tournament, was it…? He didn't _have_ to face Hades…

…but he promised Leon he would participate… but now Sephiroth was with him, things were different…

"You're so quiet…," the silver-haired man began thickly, breaking Cloud away from his thoughts, "are you alright…?" 

He nodded mutely and moved against Sephiroth, the older man's fingers digging into his sides. He could only imagine what it was like for Sephiroth if Cloud himself felt this way…

Sephiroth hissed Cloud's name involuntarily, unable to hold it in, following it up by a shallow thrust. "…I suppose that means you're ready…?"

The blonde arched his back and belatedly countered Sephiroth's movement before hesitantly breathing out an affirmative. He still ached, but that desire to fulfill years-long need was overwhelmingly powerful, drowning out everything else.

Closing his aqua eyes, the silver-haired man pulled out slowly, his mind buzzing from the sheer sensation of it all. "…Cloud… you're… still so…," Sephiroth trailed off and swallowed the lump in his throat, pushing his way back into the blonde. "…are you _sure _you're ready…?"

"Gods… yes, just _do_ it…" 

But there was still that almost _too_ tight resistance… Sephiroth took a breath and lowered his head, his long, silver hair falling past his shoulders and pooling onto the blonde's back. He knew he should just trust Cloud's judgment, but he didn't want to _hurt_ him…

"…_honestly_?"

"Sephiroth, _please_, just shut the fuck up and _do it_!!"

Both sets of eyes widened at the blonde's urgent plea. Cloud hadn't meant to be so vehement… or pissy, for that matter…

…but dammit, Sephiroth was being too considerate for his own good, the reassurances were getting annoying, and the pain would fade away if he just _started_ already.

"Alright," Sephiroth murmured humorlessly, tightly gripping Cloud's hips as he drove forward, "I can't deny something when asked so kindly…" 

-------

"…I am _not _getting turned on by this…"

__

'Oh, f-fuck…!'

"…am _not _getting turned on by this…"

__

'Seph—!!'

"…**_not_** getting turned on by **_this_**…"

__

'…a-ahh!'

"………"

__

'S… s-Sephiroth!'

He wasn't being _loud_, really, but the walls in the house were grotesquely thin, and sounds - no matter what they happened to be - passed through them far too easily for his liking. The brunette growled quietly to himself and futilely punched the pillow he was attempting to bury himself into.

…maybe he'd just have to soundproof the living room…

The thing that bothered him most, though, was that Leon wasn't _angry_ that _Cloud _was getting _fucked _by that _guy_ in his _house_… no…

…maybe not _angry_, but… _something_.

Yeah, he told Cloud that he and Sephirothcould stay there, and truthfully he _had_ expected they'd consummate their whole reunion, but… whiny as it sounded, it wasn't _fair_ that they were so tactless as to do it when he was trying to _sleep_… he had hoped that they would at least wait until he was in a peaceful, half-dead slumber where _he couldn't hear them_ before they… _started_ anything.

Leon buried his head further into his pillow in a vain attempt to ignore that voyeuristic jolt of excitement in the pit of his stomach. But how _couldn't_ he…? They were _right there_…

Cloud and Sephiroth. Sephiroth and Cloud.

Sephiroth _inside_ of Cloud.

…in his goddamn _living_ room…!

They were… **_doing _**things…on his _couch_…!!

…but despite that…

The former SeeD grunted, miserably observing, "…getting turned on by this…"

If Cloud hadn't sounded so…

He cut that thought short and gritted his teeth as another one of the blonde's moans arose from the other room, throwing a second pillow over his head, covering his ears as hard as he could.

"…Cloud…," Leon started in a thickly muffled voice, "…the _fuck_ did you _do_ to me…?!"

-------

"W… wait… Seph, stop…" Cloud looked over his shoulder when Sephiroth reluctantly did what he asked, fingers clenching in impatience. "I want to see you…"

It took a few seconds before the silver-haired man's lust-clouded mind processed what his partner had said but he managed, moving away to give Cloud space to shift. "What about your wing…?"

"I don't care… it'll be fine anyway…" the blonde murmured, wiping away droplets of sweat from his forehead as he flipped over. He knew he should've been used to finding a comfortable position on his back after all the time he had the wing but he was impatient, not to mention damn eager for Sephiroth to take him again and finish what they started.

Fed up with waiting and completely forgoing any comfort at all, Cloud fell back onto the folded black appendage with his legs spread wide, wincing a bit at the impact.

Sephiroth filled that space immediately without holding on for Cloud's consent, poised and ready to enter the smaller man. One of Cloud's legs rested in the crook of his arm, and Sephiroth threw the other over his shoulder before steadying Cloud's slender hips. At the barest nod he thrust forward and quickly filled the blonde, both hissing in appreciation.

They locked their bodies in rhythm, going faster and harder as tension rose and the need for release built within both of them. Both bodies joined, blazing, pulsing, and every cell burned with pleasure as utterances fell from their lips without shame, mindless of everything but each other.

"Oh, gods, I love you," the blonde panted, face contorted in rapture as he slipped legs from Sephiroth's arms, wrapping them firmly around the other man's waist.

The inevitable would happen soon, and they were welcoming it.

Cloud moaned as his back arched, feeling the end rapidly approaching. He cracked his eyes open, just a bit, to see Sephiroth with his head bent low, most of his face obscured by long, damp tendrils of silver. The older man's jaw was clenched and his forehead wrinkled in concentration, and Cloud could tell that he was close, too.

Doing his best to keep his eyes open, the blonde took himself in hand and stroked, throwing his left arm above his head and watched as Sephiroth let his head fall back, showing off the strong cords of muscle on his neck.

Gorgeous… the man was too perfect for words…

All Cloud could do was say Sephiroth's name in warning before his entire body stiffened, arching as he climaxed. The arm above his head slipped over his eyes as he clenched his teeth and rode out the intense waves of pleasure, wishing the ecstasy would never end.

Sephiroth bent and laid his forehead against the blonde's arm, his warm breath washing over Cloud's face. He reached under Cloud to grasp his shoulders with both hands, mindful of the leathery wing, and held on tight as he could as he careened towards the edge.

Biting his lip to keep quiet, Sephiroth came inside the younger man, wing expanding to its full length and shaking with his release. He was dimly aware of his nails digging into Cloud's skin and the legs clenched tightly around his waist, mind focusing on nothing but riding the heat of spent passion.

"…love you…"

Neither one of them knew exactly who had said those words, but it didn't really matter. The case was the same either way.

Sephiroth lifted his head from Cloud's arm a minute later, gently nudging the limb away before dipping down to kiss the blonde softly, the two of them _still_ catching their breath. He chuckled against Cloud's lips and brushed his own over them again before murmuring, "well… have I changed over the years?"

"Mm… still good…"

"Only good?" Sephiroth asked quietly, nuzzling into the mercenary's neck. Cloud's legs had fallen from around him and were sprawled limply on the couch, but Sephiroth himself didn't feel like vacating the area just yet, content in simply blanketing the smaller body with his own, and himself with his wing until he was damn well ready to pull out and fall asleep.

…or maybe not until he was ready to go again, but of course, that was up to his partner more than himself.

Cloud snorted drowsily and blew a fallen spike from his eyes, body still trembling in the aftershock of—

//…incredible…//

—sex. "Gods, always digging for compliments, aren't you…"

"No, just an honest opinion."

"As if you really need me to tell you," the mercenary muttered, reaching up to once again toy with those intriguing feathers of Sephiroth's wing. The older man shuddered into him, nearly purring from the action.

"Mine… you're still all mine, Cloud…"

"Yeah…" The blonde took a deep breath and kissed Sephiroth again, "all yours."

----------------------

__

A/N: I AM SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SOOOOOOO SORRY!!!!! GAH!!! Five MONTHS!? ARG!!! That… gah. I can't believe this took so long, and I hope I didn't scare anyone into thinking this story was dead. ;.;

I hit a wicked snag in this chapter… and it was royally pissing me off so I ended up revising the first couple chapters because they sucked and Sephiroth was too OOC for my liking anyway, so… yes. I hope it was worth the excruciatingly long wait for this… ugh. But… at least there was sex… and the chapter was pretty long in comparison to the others, very nearly 10k words… 20 pages… long-ish citrus… so you won't kill me for making you wait, right? O.x;;

God… I'm all porned-out now. OMFG THE SMUT ::dies of exhaustion:: That wasn't even the sex I had written originally… which, upon re-reading, sucked… I think I managed to salvage probably three lines of the entire thing. ::coughs:: So… um? Sucky? Not sucky? Too OOC? I hope it wasn't **too** OOC. I hope it didn't suck… did it suck? Crappy sour lemon? Tell me ;.;

::giggles as she pictures Sephiroth's wing…:: Yeah… you know how birds do that little shake thing and puff up all stiffly sometimes? Yeah, that's how I pictured Seph when he… yes. Ahem. Is that strange? XD

Leon… Squall, Squall, Squall, you poor bastard. ::pets him::

But yay! I FINALLY beat Sephiroth on Expert mode (after 5-some-odd tries… -.-). Ahh… it feels really good to kick his ass. And his profile makes me smile.


	18. Part Seventeen

****

Part Seventeen

__

-Are you worried about your faith?  
Kneel down and obey.  
You're happy you're in love,  
You need someone to hate.-  
-"Superman is Dead", Our Lady Peace-  
------------------

The realization that the days of spooning were now long gone was greatly disappointing to the blonde, a position that Cloud personally - _secretly_ - enjoyed sleeping in. There was just something… comforting about spending the night with Sephiroth's warmth at his back, his own arm draped over the older man's as it laid across his chest, protectively. It was romantic and intimate, though Cloud would be damned to _ever_ admit he liked that sort of thing. Not at 22-years old… but _especially_ not as a fighter-slash-former hero-slash-ex-hitman for the god of the dead…

But the new arrangement wasn't all _that_ bad… they had to lay facing each other so they wouldn't crush their respective wings, though, Cloud laying on his right side and Sephiroth on his left, head lodged underneath the older man's chin. The only thing that really got to the blonde was the fact that both of their appendages were exposed to the open air, and not just Sephiroth's alone.

As if Sephiroth would ever _want_ to keep his a secret…

"Now that you're sated," Sephiroth began quietly, twining a spike between his long fingers, "are you ready to discuss your deal?"

"Leave me alone," came the exhausted response as the blonde hiked the blanket higher onto his left shoulder, at the same time curling down into the heat of Sephiroth's bare skin. "I'm still basking in afterglow."

The older man sighed. "Maybe so, but you'll have to tell me eventually, Cloud…"

"Not now, I want sleep…"

"…already?"

Cloud looked up at the other man and stared, wearily, as Sephiroth leaned in for a kiss. "Leon's going to kill us, you know, if this is going where I think it's going…," he muttered. "…going _again_, I mean."

"I was planning on saying goodnight, Cloud, but if you insist…," the silver-haired one chuckled, pulling Cloud closer to himself.

The blonde spared a look over to a small digital clock resting on Leon's TV and winced. "Love to, but we shouldn't. We gotta get up _sometime_ tomorrow…"

"According to whom?"

Cloud tilted his head to the side, giving the other man easier access to the length of his neck, but, conforming to his nature of dissenting submissiveness, protested anyway. "Seph…"

Of course, the blonde's voice completely gave away the fact that he did, in fact, want to continue, and Sephiroth had no problem obliging. After all, they had _years_ to exorcize, and naturally that wouldn't have been solved in a measly three or four rounds.

"Come on, we can't sleep all day… we aren't _teenagers_, you know…"

"Nonsense, you're barely out of your teens."

Sephiroth shifted to cage Cloud within his arms, one knee pressed between the blonde's legs, and kissed him again, pushing his tongue into the other man's mouth. He couldn't help himself; Cloud was still so enticing, stirring up a myriad of feelings - love, though, was the most prominent… but there were also other moods, even the dirtiest of thoughts… all _sorts_ of things within him, all of them provoked by the blonde.

He wondered if maybe that was why he was so possessive… his resolve was near-impenetrable when he wanted it to be, but when Cloud was around, all sense of composure flew out the window, reducing him to nothing but a hormonal mass of Cloud-necessitating goo. And if the blonde unknowingly aroused those sorts of things within himself, gods knew what Cloud inspired in _others_…

…_especially_ Leon.

The ex-General honestly didn't believe Cloud's claims of Leon's 'staunch' heterosexuality. Had Leon truly been as straight as the blonde seemed to _think_ he was, Sephiroth had no doubt in his mind that _nothing_ like what had happened between the two younger men would have _ever_ been even _remotely_ close to going on.

In Sephiroth's mind, if a man willingly has any form of sex at _all_ with another man, there was not a chance in hell that said man was 100 percent straight, and Zack wholeheartedly agreed with him. After all, he had been in a similar situation back on the Planet - one which was what caused the black-haired one to realize that he truly was, in fact, _bi_sexual, therefore it must've been the same case for Leon…

But amazingly, for whatever reason, Cloud didn't seem to look at it that way; and quite frankly, it was pissing Sephiroth off. He _knew_ he was right, but the blonde kept trying to convince him otherwise. Really, what other proof did Cloud _need_ to realize that Leon _liked_ him, yet _another_ go at it?

…not that Sephiroth would ever allow that. It was simply an example.

Which meant they really needed to relocate, or else the silver-haired man was positive that would actually happen.

"What's the matter with you?" Sephiroth looked up at the blonde, who was currently watching him while propped up on his elbows, one eyebrow raised in concerned irritation. "You're distracted…"

The older man shook his head, giving Cloud's lower belly a light peck before moving to occupy his claimed space on the couch. All of the thinking he had done completely obliterated 'the mood', and at that point, he was sure his body had been acting purely on instinct. Though Cloud appeared somewhat disappointed, he was relieved at the same time… Sephiroth could tell that the other man really _was_ tired, anyway…

"I believe we should get some rest… today was quite trying, so it's definitely something we both need…" And it was. Sephiroth didn't even remember the last time he got a decent night's rest, what with the insanity and dealings with Riku and all…

"…which is what I've been trying to tell you," Cloud muttered, tucking his head childishly underneath the older man's chin. Sephiroth rolled his eyes as he wrapped his arms around the blonde's shoulders in a loose embrace.

"Still this much of a grouch when you're tired? I figured you'd've grown out of it by now."

He was answered with a monosyllabic grunt.

Sephiroth placed a kiss on top of blonde spikes before settling in for a bit of much-needed sleep. "I love you, Cloud."

"_Ngh_."

-------

Leon threw the switch and swore none-too-quietly as he entered bathroom in a slow, half-asleep daze, eyes watering as they struggled to adjust to the blinding artificial light. He absolutely hated mornings, but those in Traverse Town were especially worse… it took _forever_ for his eyes to get used to bright lights. Had he lived anywhere else he could have gradually been eased into the brightness by the morning sun, but since his current homeland _had_ no such thing, well, he ended up being temporarily blinded upon waking, on a daily basis.

Not two stumbled steps into the room, Leon stubbed his toe on someone's discarded, heavy, _metal_ armor. If the pain in his foot was any sort of indication, he guessed it belonged to Sephiroth… it must've been carelessly tossed aside in what was most likely a desperate moment between himself and Cloud, the blonde's hands and lips all over the other man's body…

…not that Sephiroth cared enough about the blonde to react in kind to that sort of thing. Instead, the brunette bet, he had Cloud do _all_ the work as Sephiroth himself sat selfishly, unresponsive and _thankless_ as the younger man probably blew him right in Leon's fucking shower…

…where, after a very brief inspection, silver hairs mingled with those of gold were stuck all _over_ the place, and there was probably even some cum caught the drain, too, seeing as they were both obviously too fucking busy to have any sort of deference for his home and clean up after themselves - a fact which he based solely on the mile-fucking-high pile of leather and fucking huge chunks of metal that Leon was _bound_ to walk into upon waking, and all those fucking useless belts and great, there were even _feathers_ all over the floor. What was it, molting day?

Gods, Sephiroth was such an inconsiderate _prick_.

Yes, Leon knew that Sephiroth was not the _only_ one to blame, but…

The brunette sighed, turning to stare at his reflection in the mirror. He looked overly tired, with dark circles prominent beneath his eyes, hair even messier than usual… Leon knew he seemed absolutely, hopelessly disgruntled, and he was.

He really, really was.

Leon didn't want to think about what had happened the night before anymore, but try as he did to forget, those thoughts just didn't go away. It was… _pathetic_, what he had done. Utterly, stupidly pathetic.

He didn't _mean_ to do it… but Cloud just…

…_did_ things to him.

And, of course, he _completely_ needed that literally painful reminder of what had taken place between Sephiroth and Cloud not four hours earlier, thereby entirely ruining any chance at all he may have had to recreate _any_ scenario involving the blonde that his hormone-driven mind had produced.

Leon frowned at himself and let his eyes wander down, stopping at his hands. So that meant…

…okay. No more doubts in his mind… he really _did_ like Cloud. If the blonde had the ability to make him do _that_… while thinking about him… then that's what it _had_ to mean…

…and he had to admit, he did think Cloud was damn good-looking, once he got to know him… and Leon came to find out that he was a decent kisser, too… though, Cloud wasn't quite the sparkling personality but then again, Leon himself wasn't all that great in that department, either… but the two of them got along pretty well despite that…

"…this is so stupid…"

At any rate, what the hell did it matter anymore? Even if he did realize that he _liked_ Cloud, it wasn't as if he'd ever have a chance to be with him - or _whatever_ it was Leon wanted from him… - since Cloud had found his Light, so what was the use fawning like a little girl? Even if he wanted to, he knew he would never be able to whisk the blonde away from the hideously gorgeous and godlike _Sephiroth_…

…really, was _that_ level of beauty even humanly _possible_?

But with the way the older man was glaring at him the night before, Leon didn't even know if Sephiroth would let him live long enough to try. And, Sephiroth's obvious jealous and overprotective hold on Cloud _aside_, Leon respected a little thing called 'boundaries'.

"…unlike _some_ people," he muttered bitterly, taking another look at the messy bathroom floor.

Growling, the brunette turned on the sink's faucet to blazing hot and proceeded to wash his hands.

The suddenness of the situation bothered him, too… he had entertained very brief, passing notions about Cloud before, but they were never, _ever_ quite as serious… though, what happened the day before…

But… Cloud was another _guy_…

Leon frowned. He still couldn't shake that stupid, lingering guilty feeling… though, having any sort of attraction to _women_ didn't make him guilty, so why was that not the case with Cloud?

He killed the water and looked up at his reflection once more, eyes focusing on the scar 'gracing' the middle of his forehead.

__

How many women had he been with, now? He recalled vaguely his Light… he wore the angel wings on his back day after day in remembrance of her, he knew that much. And she was with… hm.

Leon frowned, hand absently going up to the pendant on his silver necklace. Griever had a connotation with her, too, somehow… but…

…and there was another girl, too, when he was living at Hollow Bastion, but that didn't last, either.

…and Leon liked Aerith for a while, but that never went anywhere. He never told her, and she never noticed - probably wouldn't have even cared, anyway, if he had, considering she was very preoccupied with Cloud, who hadn't even been there at the time.

…and in Traverse Town he dated a bit. None of them he really cared about for more than a fleeting moment, though, so no broken hearts there. Of course, maybe he would have been able to stay with someone had it not been for _him_… biggest fucking mistake of Leon's life, to even _consider_… gods, he couldn't even regard them as _friends_. And Leon _knew_ that he never, _ever_ would've lived it down if he even gave him the slightest _inkling_… but _still_ he thought about him.

He always figured that it was a fluke, one-time thing, because he _was not like that_. And while Leon was at least comfortable enough with himself to admit that there were some men that really were physically attractive - hell, he even went to school with several of them in Balamb - but none of them attracted him in _that_ way, except… well…

Though now, he really… _liked_… Cloud… fine. No big deal.

…but it figures Cloud would be a fucking blonde, too.

What. The. Fuck.

But why was he letting himself hone up to it _now_, because he couldn't have Cloud? What, did he want to be a glutton for punishment, drowning himself in that sort of angst again? Was that a _pattern_ for him, that want to keep everything inside and pulling himself down with it, moving on to find a replacement who could put some sort of distance between himself and someone that he actually wanted but was too chickenshit to fess up to out of fear of rejection and childish _ridicule_?

Leon's frown deepened. Was this even about Cloud anymore…?

…whatever.

Bracing himself with his palms on the lip of the sink, the brunette leaned forward, watching himself watching him. Leon scowled at what he saw as he reached up, pushing brown bangs from his eyes, to stare at the scar as it creased with every movement of his brow.

Fuck.

"Get over it," he angrily scolded himself, quiet enough to make sure the two 'lovebirds' couldn't hear, "it's been eight _years_, Squall, so just fucking _get over it_."

Would that little pep-talk help? Of course not… he still felt as if he was going to slip into a depressive coma. It never made him feel better before, either, so why would it now?

On the way out of the bathroom, Leon once again stubbed his toe, this time on the armor's opposite side.

Oh, life was dandy.

Just… dandy.

-------

Sephiroth woke with the smaller warrior still in his arms, sleeping peacefully, and couldn't help but smile lightly down at him. The younger man's face was serene, limp golden spikes brushing against his forehead, eyebrows drawn. His mouth was formed into a sleepy pout, Mako eyes moving slightly under twitching eyelids, cheek resting on Sephiroth's left shoulder. The blonde looked so innocent when he was asleep… like an angel.

Well… an angel with a demon's wing, of course, putting Cloud at a level of 'fallen angel' surpassing even Sephiroth's own.

The ex-General didn't mind the wing at all, really, seeing as it _was_ a part of Cloud. And it really was beautiful in some ways, as he had said before… jet black and pointed, its texture leathery, but covered with a fine layer of soft fur, not coarse as one would have expected.

Sephiroth knew Cloud despised it, of course, but that didn't mean _he_ couldn't admire the thing, did it?

He wondered if Cloud knew what the skin looked like where wing met shoulder blade, but he supposed not, or else the blonde never would've taken his shirt off ever again. The base of the appendage was a solid black - a stark contrast to Cloud's own skin - with dark veins threading out a short ways before gradually tapering off into nothing. Around the wing was slightly lighter, though, Sephiroth noted, a purple shade similar to that in the Darkness, and all around the wing, the skin looked cracked, bumpy, and rough…

Unable to resist temptation, the silver-haired man's hand crept up, and he ran his fingertips over the skin below the wing, surprised to find it smooth, veins below the surface only, not truly marring Cloud's back… but still, Sephiroth wasn't going to tell Cloud about it.

In his sleep, Cloud sighed, shivering contentedly beneath the older man's touch.

__

/--Hey, keep doin' that and I bet you 500 gil he's gonna start purring.--/

/…and where have **you** been?/

/--Oh, y'know… out…--/ Sephiroth could feel Zack gesturing in his mind._ /--Figured you guys would want **privacy** or something…--/_

__

/Is that so?/ Sephiroth chuckled quietly, _/since when have you been so courteous?/_

__

/--You wound me, Seph.--/

__

/Mm. Perhaps I would've given you control for a bit, had you stayed./

Zack scoffed. _/--Are you fuckin' **serious**!?--/_

The silver-haired man gave a brief smirk and shrugged, drawing small circles on Cloud's naked back.

__

/--…dammit. Last time **I'll** ever go and be **nice**…--/ The word 'nice' came out as the verbal equivalent to a Zack-style sneer - not quite wrathful, but not at all happy, either… more like an unintentionally goofy in-between where one couldn't tell if the former SOLDIER was simply kidding around, or actually being dead serious.

__

/Next time, Zackary, there will always be a next time…/

Zack stayed silent for a while, and Sephiroth wondered if his first friend hadn't decided to up and leave him again… however that was done. As far as he knew, Zack didn't exist in an actual place, just simply… _was_. Sephiroth had no clue where the black-haired one could have gone for those retreats, either… maybe in the deeper recesses of his mind, but Sephiroth didn't know if that was where Zack actually resided…

…it was all very strange. Maybe the fact that Zack was still with him wouldn't have been so bad, had Sephiroth understood how Zack 'lived' - so to speak - and where. But he didn't want Zack _gone_… he simply hated how he was so utterly ignorant about the entire situation…

__

/--…I don't get it either, Seph…,--/ Zack cut in, _/--it's just something I'll have to keep trying to figure out, I guess…--/_

/How long have you had that ability to 'leave'?/ Sephiroth asked, frowning. If the deceased SOLDIER was withholding vital information…

Mentally, Zack shrugged. _/--No clue… just happened. And I didn't **plan** it or anything…,--/_ he added quickly, to sate Sephiroth's curiosity. The older man could feel Zack smirk as he went on, jokingly, _/--why, do you worry when I'm gone, Daddy?--/_

The silver-haired man cringed. Not only was Zack's tone mildly disturbing, but the words were as well. No one ever really called him 'Daddy' before, not even in jest, and the title just sent shivers down Sephiroth's back.

…well… that was a lie. Cloud had called him 'Daddy' once, but it wasn't in the sarcastic context that Zack's had been. Though, that time it was off-putting, too… maybe even more so. But one thing was for certain: it was definitely _not_ sexy as Sephiroth was positive Cloud had meant for it to be. After all, the blonde was only fifteen-years old at the time, and it was said under a rather inappropriate circumstance, making Sephiroth just the slightest bit uneasy about the term, since Cloud at the time was so…

…anyway, it wasn't as if Sephiroth was actually old enough to be Cloud's father - not even _close_ to it - but the gap between their two ages wasn't exactly slight, either…

…and he just didn't want to think of Cloud calling him that. Nor anyone else, for that matter. He had a terribly low tolerance for children…

__

/And if I do?/ Sephiroth asked, frowning. _/You don't consider me **that** heartless, do you?/_

/--Take. A. Joke,--/ Zack muttered pointedly. The ex-General was so stiff all the time… _/--Seriously Seph, even **Cloud's** got more of a sense of humor than you do. I'm kidding!!--/_ he tagged on, feeling Sephiroth's lips draw themselves into a tight, sullen line.

__

/--You're both still cool with me, I swear.--/

Sephiroth heaved a sigh, rolling his eyes. _/Why must you turn everything into a joke?/_

/--Why do you have to make everything so serious all the time?--/ Zack retorted, wringing yet another frown from the other man. _/--Really, Seph… you gotta loosen up. If you snap again…--/_

/…Zackary…/

He knew Sephiroth wanted to finish with 'that will never happen', but instead the older man just trailed off, focusing his attention on Cloud.

Though he didn't believe his friend would actually do such a thing at that point - mind clear of Jenova and association with ShinRa broken, and all that other good stuff -, Zack still felt like he had to keep on doing what he could to ease Sephiroth away from _those_ kinds of moods, and calm him if he got too worked up. Even if he probably wasn't going to flip again, Zack felt a little protective of Sephiroth… mainly because no one else ever truly was. Sure, Cloud was some kind of support for the silver-haired man, but Cloud's stability had never been too great, either; Zack had always considered himself to really be the only one of the three of them who… well, had it all together. Sephiroth would be inclined to argue that, of course, but the former SOLDIER knew his own opinion was right.

…because Zack, to put it plainly, rocked.

Sephiroth looked towards the living room door upon hearing sounds of movement and harshly shut drawers in the adjacent room. It didn't startle him at all, his instincts didn't jump to the conclusion that there was a burglar in the house or anything of that nature. Even if it was, with three sword-wielding men in the place, a robber wouldn't have a chance of escape and certainly didn't pose a threat, especially not to him.

Of course, he knew it was just Leon, anyway. Yes, thieves tended to be quite dumb, but Sephiroth didn't believe that they would be so foolish as to slam things around and clank silverware and scrape chairs across the floor, basically calling the house's inhabitants and telling them that there was something that should be looked into in the next room.

…and if they did, Sephiroth would have completely lost all faith in mankind.

Though he was comfortable just lying next to Cloud on the too-small couch, Sephiroth slipped himself out from under the younger man's hold. Careful not to wake him, the silver-haired one crawled over Cloud's body and up off the couch, the sleeping mercenary rolling over to soak up the warmth Sephiroth left behind.

After a quick search of the room, Sephiroth spotted several bags shoved into one corner, the name of some store emblazoned on the front of them in a big, tacky font and loud colors. He went over to it and peeked inside, pulling out several articles of rumpled, worn clothing - Cloud's clothes, by the size of them, but what was Cloud doing buying _leather_? He never remembered the blonde showing any interest in clothing that was anything but casual… unless _Leon_ brought him shopping, considering leather was nearly all that the man wore…

…not that Sephiroth was one to talk, since his own outfit was nothing _but_ leather, but that wasn't quite the point he was trying to make.

Though, in that room, Sephiroth _had_ no clothes, leather or otherwise - or at least, none that would fit him comfortably, if they would indeed fit at all… not that trying on Cloud's new Leon-esque clothes was something he wanted to try in the first place.

Even though it wouldn't have bothered him personally to do so, Sephiroth had a feeling that Leon wouldn't quite appreciate him walking nude through the house to retrieve his own clothing from the floor of the bathroom - which, upon retrospection, Sephiroth regretted. Had he and Cloud not been in such a hurry for their reunion - the word brought forth an involuntary shudder -, then the silver-haired man would not have this dilemma. He would have had clothes at that moment, been fully dressed, and 'discussing' things with Leon instead of standing naked in a dark room and trying to decide whose towel from last night would be drier so he could venture out to _get_ his clothes - or at least a pair of _pants_…

__

/--…Seph, you dwell on some weird-ass things, you know that, right…?--/

Ignoring Zack's mocking observation, Sephiroth snatched up Cloud's discarded towel from the floor. It was still uncomfortably damp and heavy, not to mention _cold_, but it was better than nothing - better for Leon, not for him. Naturally, Sephiroth would have rather gone completely bare, but for courtesy's sake…

Sephiroth stepped next to Cloud's side, pulling the blanket up and over the blonde's self. After placing a kiss on Cloud's shoulder, the former General crept out into the kitchen to meet their dear, friendly host.

-------

Leon's attention quickly turned away from his breakfast as he heard the door to the living room open. With more grace than humanly possible for such a simple, everyday action, Sephiroth's towel-clad form stepped through, clicking the door behind him.

The brunette blinked. Sephiroth was… _much_ more beautiful than he first thought, and that fact was severely unnerving. In a lot of ways, the silver-haired man didn't even look _real_, but more like some sort of ethereal being one would only see in dreams, clad in complete white with matching wings, plucking the strings of a harp while laying on wispy white clouds.

Though, Leon didn't know how far that analogy was from the truth; after all, Sephiroth already was pale, right down to the very last long, silvery hair on his head. And he _was_ winged, minus the fact that his wing wasn't of the pristine-feathered variety which angels ideally had… and Sephiroth did have a Cloud… not exactly the type of cloud that Leon was aiming for, but the idea still worked…

Even the man's _body_ seemed unreal… unblemished skin, fit musculature that conformed perfectly with his tall stature, not too thick but not too thin, either; it just _went_. Sephiroth had the sort of physique that SeeDs would have sold their souls to achieve. And not only that, but each and every one of Sephiroth's movements were smooth and unhurried, yet Leon had a pretty good idea that the man could move faster than the eyes can see, if he wanted to.

His face… gorgeous. Just the right balance between handsome and beautiful, not too masculine but not feminine, strong nose, thin, manicured eyebrows - most likely their natural shape, too. Sephiroth, though he appeared to be rather vain, didn't exactly seem the type to hover in front of a mirror with a pair of tweezers in hand and pluck like Leon sometimes witnessed Aerith doing. Only if Sephiroth did, there were no doubts in the brunette's mind that the man wouldn't complain all the while about the sting as she had. Which sort of made Leon wonder why the hell Aerith did it anyway, if it hurt so much… - mouth set in a perpetual smirk, and slanted eyes with those damned unnerving, cat-like pupils…

…fine, yes, Cloud was obviously a lucky bastard, from what Leon could see. The unbidden thought came that the blonde must have really had some way about him to manage to land himself - not to mention _keep _- someone that looked like _that_, but Leon would be damned to tell either one of them any such thing.

But just because Sephiroth was good-looking didn't make him _attractive_… in the ex-SeeD's mind Sephiroth's negative personality aspects _far_ outweighed the aesthetically pleasing outer qualities. Naturally, that caused Leon to wonder how the hell Sephiroth was able to possess so thoroughly someone as decent as _Cloud_…

Just as quickly as he looked up, Leon averted his gaze, frowning as he felt the silver-haired man set those unnerving, glowing aqua orbs on him.

"Not the person you were hoping for?" Sephiroth asked, smirking as he noticed the brunette's scowl, "sorry to disappoint you."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

The older man chuckled; _someone_ certainly seemed to be in a sour mood… "You look tired," Sephiroth observed, ignoring him, voice innocent in its intent but those eyes told Leon otherwise.

"Lack of sleep does that to a person," he muttered dryly, stabbing his spoon into the bowl of oatmeal before him.

"You know what works wonders when you can't sleep?"

Leon poked at his oatmeal several times more before lifting a spoonful to his mouth, intent on ignoring Sephiroth but going by the look on the older man's face, it was dead apparent that Sephiroth wasn't going to let him - or at least, not any time soon. "Go talk to a wall."

For a moment he saw Sephiroth's calm façade falter, lapsing into partial confusion, and the former SeeD was hard pressed to keep himself from simpering victoriously.

"Not interested, then? Too bad," Sephiroth lamented in a dangerously wistful voice, "I'm sure it would definitely benefit a man like yourself… you seem to be in _desperate_ need of something like that…"

The brunette had to force himself not to glare. It was quite obvious what Sephiroth was referring to, and the implication of the statement…

Leon clenched his jaw. He knew what Sephiroth was trying to do: he obviously wanted a fight that Leon was _not_ going to give. It was so _irritating_.

Sephiroth smirked, noticing the muscles of the brunette's face tightening in agitation. "Hit a sensitive spot, did I?"

"Whatever."

The silver-haired man raised an eyebrow and sauntered over to him, resting a palm flat on the table, standing next to the other man. Leaning down, Sephiroth towered over Leon as the younger man sat rigidly in his seat, doing what he could to stay detached and uninterested in anything but his bowl of oats.

He wasn't scared, however - it took something more than a simple, purposely imposing stance to do _that_. Leon was more bothered by the fact that Sephiroth was so close to him in his half-naked glory than anything else…

"You can't fool me, Leon," Sephiroth stated assuredly, Mako-infused eyes watching the brunette's every action, right down to the last agitated twitch.

"And you're wasting your breath," Leon muttered, "you seriously have the wrong idea about me, so you may as well stop all this petty, jealous bullshit, alright?"

There. Straight and to the point, and hopefully Sephiroth would just drop it. It was false, but that didn't matter; as long as it appeased the other man enough to shut up about it…

Sephiroth pursed his lips and asked in an overly sweet tone, "and what idea, pray tell, do I have 'wrong'?"

"You think I'm interested in him," the ex-SeeD answered shortly, his greyish-blue eyes still fixed on the lumpy mass of goo which he called 'breakfast', "and you're wrong."

"However did you come to _that_ assumption?" came the innocently sarcastic inquiry. Upon realizing that Leon had no intent on answering, Sephiroth went on, "because it's _true_, isn't it?"

"_No_."

"Is that so?" Sephiroth snorted, "what a lie…"

The brunette narrowed his eyes and shook his head, feeling a tension headache just dying to break into his head. "Look… I'm _straight_, so how _could_ it be?"

He was hoping that Sephiroth would just let the matter drop. Even if it was yet another lie, what more did he have to say to the man to get him to realize that he wasn't going to _try_ anything? Gods, all Sephiroth was doing was merely beating an already dead, useless point into oblivion… Sephiroth's precious Cloud wasn't going to be stolen, so why wouldn't he just shut the fuck up about it?! Did he _want_ there to be some sort of threat? Was this some sort of sadistic quest for a fucking petty victory to prove Sephiroth's _superiority_?!

"Oh, stop trying to convince yourself of that." He had tried to keep his tone light and conversational during the confrontation, but when it came to the subject… "You must've been attracted enough to Cloud - another _man_ - to allow him to _fellate_ you, Leon," Sephiroth pointed out, bitterly.

Leon stiffened upon hearing the words, lips drawing themselves into a thin, tight line. So, Cloud _did_ tell him… for some reason, Leon didn't truly believe that the blonde ever would have confessed the _entire_ truth to Sephiroth out of fear that the man would leave him… though, he supposed that would explain why Sephiroth was being so vile towards him. Didn't excuse him of it, since Leon didn't give any indication of _anything_, but…

"Well, you've nothing to say to that?"

…if it was an apology the older man wanted, Leon wasn't going to give him one. As the saying went, it took _two_ to 'tango', and to be fair, Cloud was just as guilty as he was - but, of _course_, it seemed to Leon that Sephiroth's apron strings were wound too tight around the blonde for Sephiroth to realize that very simple fact.

Besides, Cloud didn't know that Sephiroth was _truly_ alive… Hades may have said as much, but who could honestly trust someone like that?

And if the oldest man felt betrayed that Cloud did such a thing… that was too bad for him. After all, from all the things Leon heard about the silver-haired man's antics back in Cloud's world, cheating on a dead man was _far_ less severe and probably _the_ most merciful thing the blonde could have done to get back at him - not that that was his intent in the first place…

"That's none of your business."

Sephiroth chuckled quietly. "But it is my business. Not only because it concerns Cloud, but also because you are insulting both he and I with your constant claims of heterosexuality, even though you've willingly been with another man…? Now, how do you believe that makes _him_ feel?"

The brunette blinked. He hadn't even thought of it that way… that maybe he offended Cloud by…

"And judging by the apparent concern on your face," Sephiroth began, voice quiet but smug, "I can clearly tell that you feel guilty about that… meaning that I _am_ right about you, aren't I." The tone left no room for negation, but…

"…I fucking _told_ you: I'm not interested in Cloud… I'm not _gay_."

He wasn't going to admit otherwise - at least, not when he was being forced to… but _especially_ not to Sephiroth, under these circumstances.

Sephiroth chuckled, giving a little shake of his head. "Still in denial… but that's alright."

The ex-SeeD rolled his grey-blue eyes, silently telling himself not to react. With Sephiroth hovering over him and egging him on like that, 'will not hit him, Cloud is still my friend… will not hit him, Cloud is my friend,' was the mantra coursing through Leon's brain, and the only thing keeping him at bay.

All Leon wanted to do was eat breakfast, take a shower - provided the silver-haired man pick up his shit - and go out to train, keeping as much distance between himself and Sephiroth with his pretty puppet Cloud as he could.

"I don't _want_ him," Leon growled through gritted teeth.

…but pretty soon, he was going to fold and say that yes, he _did_, if only just to shut Sephiroth's mouth. The more Sephiroth went on, the more tempting it was for Leon to actually _want_ to do what the older man was accusing him of… the silver-haired man was like a parent in that respect, pushing and pushing their child not to do something, even when it only served to make that curiosity grow into something more substantial…

Leon again wondered what it was about the blonde that was making Sephiroth act this way… a possessiveness like Sephiroth's was _not_ normal… gods, Leon wasn't even _doing_ anything to warrant it!

"Yes you do… it's plainly obvious - to me, that is. I've seen the way you look at him, Leon; I _know_ that expression, I've observed it myself a million times before…"

…even so, Sephiroth was very much pushing the brunette into a place he didn't want to go, and pretty soon, Leon wasn't going to be held responsible for his actions.

Leon counted backwards from ten in his mind, fighting to find some center of calm within himself. The tone of Sephiroth's voice was like mothers typically used - more specifically, mothers who wanted to persuade their children into doing something they didn't want to do - and Leon didn't know how much more of that condescension he had the civility to take - Cloud's friendship or not, Sephiroth's attitude was _intolerable_.

"Because I _know_ that you _do_ want him, but trust me, you will never have him." Lowering his voice to a quiet, imperative level, Sephiroth began while leaning close to the younger man's ear, "therefore, my advice would be to simply let Cloud go…"

…who the _fuck_ was Sephiroth to dictate who Leon could or could not be attracted to, anyway? So not only did the silver-haired one play 'mommy' to Cloud, he was trying to do it to _him_, too? What the fuck was _wrong_ with that man?

"—that would be the best thing for you." After a pause, Sephiroth smiled lazily and murmured, "Cloud is _mine_, Leon, and nothing will change that."

Before Leon could snarl out an angry retort, a sleepy-looking, shirtless Cloud appeared in the doorway. Spikes all around his head were either limp or stocking up in their opposite order, more mussed than the brunette had _ever_ seen them, and it was all due to the one man Leon was barely suppressing the need to attack.

Sephiroth sensed Cloud's presence as well, Leon guessed, and slowly straightened, wing relaxing as he did so, to turn and regard the blonde with a small, innocuous smile.

"…what's going on in here…?" the blonde asked in a tired and vulnerable voice.

Leon stood up as well, temper flaring. "Will you _tell_ him that I don't fucking _want_ you?!"

"…uh?"

The brunette pointed harshly at Sephiroth and spat, "this guy will not get it through his thick fucking skull that I don't. Fucking. Like. _You_."

Cloud blinked, taking a moment to process the too-angry sentence in his sleep-addled brain. When it finally clicked, the youngest man eyed Sephiroth warily and questioned, "Seph, how many times…" He shook his head to clear the cobwebs and went on, "gods, why won't you let this _drop_?"

Both of the blonde's fists were balled and pressed against his hips irately, clearly telling Sephiroth that he damn well better explain himself or else. The silver-haired man gave a little laugh.

"It's a blatant lie, Cloud, I don't see how you could possibly believe it."

"Do you _really_ think he would be so vehement about it if it were all a lie?" Cloud responded, not even bothering to hold back a glare. "I know you're mad about—" He cut himself short and glanced over at Leon, the brunette averting his own eyes as he did so. "…about _that_, but… seriously, Sephiroth… it didn't _mean_ anything… and I told you, it was all _my_ fault. I missed you, and I just…"

The former SeeD frowned. So he was just a replacement, then? Knowing that fact… as stupid as it sounded, Cloud had… well, _used_ him… and if Leon hadn't put a stop to it, the blonde was going to allow himself to be completely used in return, because he was _lonely_…?

It didn't really mean anything to _him_, not at the time… or so he thought, anyway, but he figured at least it would have to _Cloud_… he obviously liked Leon since the beginning, but if Leon was just a replacement for Sephiroth during the _entire time_ the blonde was staying with him…

…so what, then, was Cloud even a going to be a _friend_ anymore, now that the silver-haired man was back in his life? If Sephiroth would even _allow_ such a thing…

Leon picked up his half-empty bowl and placed it heavily into the sink, laughing bitterly to himself. A friend? What the hell did he need _friends_ for? He may have relied on them in his past as _Squall_, but now, as _Leon_, what was the use of them?

Besides, as soon as the final Keyhole was sealed they'd all be returned to their own respective worlds anyway, so what goddamn difference did it make?

Leon left the kitchen and went into his own room, changing from his sleeping pants and into his normal attire. With every belt buckled securely and without bothering to fix his hair, the brunette grabbed the gunblade from its rest on his wall and made his way back to Sephiroth and Cloud - a Sephiroth and Cloud caught in an argument, to be exact.

Cloud frowned, setting his eyes from his crossed-armed lover onto Leon, completely dressed and battle-ready. "Where are you going?" he asked, concerned, as the brunette walked swiftly by them.

"Out," Leon answered, yanking the front door open with his right hand but stopped before leaving. With his back facing the other two men, the ex-SeeD said, "and if you have a problem with me over this vacuous, _meaningless_ bullshit, _Sephiroth_, then _both_ of you can get the fuck out of here."

Leon paused to shake his head before continuing, letting out a disdainful snort. "Because I am _not_ apologizing, just like I'm _not_ going to be forced to admit something that's not even _true_. So why don't you stop being an asshole and start acting like a changed man, or else you really _are_ going to lose Cloud - when he comes to his senses and sees how much of a crazy fuck you obviously still are."

Without waiting for a reply, Leon stalked out of the house, slamming the door behind him. Seriously, friends?

__

Fuck friends.

-------

"I'm very worried about Sora doing this alone, Cid," the flower girl stated quietly, fingers playing idly with the tail end of her long, twisted braid.

Cid turned his attention from the mangled body of an Ultima-G and onto Aerith as she shrugged slightly, legs swinging like a child's as she sat perched upon one of the pilot's cleaner workbenches. Usually the girl never visited him at work - he didn't want her to ruin her clothes from all the grease, being the nice man he was… after all, Aerith was no _Shera_ - but that day she showed up bright and early.

He didn't mind the company at all, though. In fact, it was pretty nice to have someone to talk to when he was trying not to explode at repairs gone wrong… though, that meant he swore up a storm, which wasn't really something he liked to do around Aerith. She _was_ Miss Goody-Two-Shoes…

…not that that was a _bad_ thing… her virtue _was_ a part of what saved the Planet from Sephiroth and all.

After a moment of thought, she went on, "I realize he's the master of the Keyblade and all, but…"

"Nah… I know how ya feel." Cid scratched the back of his head in half-embarrassment; it was always a little hard for him to admit his concern for others. He was a considerate guy, sometimes, but to voice his trouble out loud was a tough thing to do - that was, unless it came to his machinery.

His _precious_…

"Then… do you think we should do anything…?"

"Shit, I dunno, Aer…," the blonde pilot replied in a sigh, reaching up to scratch the back of his head out of habit. Honestly, he wasn't quite sure if butting into Sora's quest would really be a smart thing to do, but dammit, he was anxious about it, too… "The kid didn't leave too long ago, y'know…"

"Regardless…"

"But if yer that bad off, probably we should… y'know, talk to Leon… ask him if we should do anythin' or just leave the kid alone."

The Cetra nodded slowly in consent. "I suppose you're right… after all, he's our inadvertent leader, isn't he?"

"Yeah." Cid paused for a moment and snorted, taking a deep drag from his half-smoked cigarette. "Fuckin' strange not takin' orders from Cloud anymore, ain't it? Man…" The pilot shook his head and murmured, "I still don't fuckin' believe it… _Sephiroth_, for fuck's sake… who woulda fuckin' _knew_…"

Aerith shrugged in a noncommittal gesture.

"I mean, he… no, he never acted like he really hated the guy… and yeah, he told all of us that he idolized 'im, but _love_?" The older man lowered his voice and added, "don't wanna hurt your pride or anythin', but… I always thought he woulda… y'know… hooked up with…" Cid made a grunting noise as he looked up at the emerald-eyed girl. "…well, _you_… when he showed up here…"

Chuckling a bit at the older man's comment, the brunette murmured, "I know… Yuffie did, too."

"Guess we know why he didn't _now_, eh?" Cid chuckled gruffly. "I heard rumors that Cloud liked to wear women's clothes sometimes, but I always figured that was some sorta kink, not because he's… _that_ way…"

The flower girl shook her head and said, "I don't think he's attracted strictly to men, Cid… I think he's just more comfortable with them…" Aerith let out her own small laugh and continued. "You should have seen him on our date… he was so nervous. That was definitely _not_ something he picked up from Zack. And to be fair," she stated, "that whole dress thing was my idea; we had no other choice."

Cid's curious yet confused look wrung another laugh from the flower girl. "But, I _never_ would've imagined that Corneo would have picked _him_, and when Tifa and I finally got into the room…" Aerith let herself trail off, giggling behind her hand. Honestly, she hadn't expected to see _that_… though, she had been more accepting of the sight than Tifa. The younger woman practically had a breakdown after realization hit…

"…do I even _wanna_ know?" the pilot asked, still wickedly curious but partially afraid of what he may hear.

"Well…" Aerith pressed one finger against her lips and shrugged. "When we found him, Cloud was very nearly… lip-locked with Don Corneo."

At that moment, Cid had the distinct feeling that his eyes were going to pop out of his head.

"Cid…?" Aerith tapped the older blonde on the shoulder as he stared blankly, trying to process the information.

Finally, after a good long while, Cid came back to his senses and murmured whilst crushing out the little that remained of his cigarette, "okay, givin' the choice between kissing Corneo or fucking Sephiroth, I'd have to go ahead and say that Cloud's gotten a _lot_ fuckin' smarter since then."

Aerith giggled. "That's so vulgar… but I suppose. Though, Cloud was with Sephiroth a long time ago, too, Cid. This isn't some sudden relationship they tumbled into…"

"Yeah, Sephiroth said that, too… I didn't believe 'im, though, obviously, because it seemed so fuckin' outta place. But then when Cloud bust into my office…" The pilot stopped to think, wondering just how to put it into words. Before he could, however, he blinked as realization struck. "…wait a sec…" Cid stared at her for a moment. "…just wait a fuckin' _second_… you mean ya _knew_ about _him_… and… **_him_**…?"

"No… well, not exactly. He didn't come out and tell me, if that's what you're wondering," Aerith answered quietly. "I had an idea, but I wasn't too certain until after I died… you learn many things in the Lifestream, Cid, of both good and bad."

"Oh yeah?" The pilot lifted an eyebrow and asked, "you got any dirt on _me_?"

Aerith chuckled airily, shaking her head. "Nothing worse than most other people." The girl smiled as she proclaimed, "with the exception of your mouth, you're surprisingly clean, Cid."

"Hell, I always tried to live on the strait and narrow, don't gotta be so shocked."

"You seem like the type to have skeletons in their closet, that's all," Aerith clarified, disarmingly, to which Cid frowned. "…_Vincent_, on the other hand…"

"…I don't wanna hear nothin' bad about Vin," Cid cut in, shortly.

"…I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything…" Aerith wrung her hands together for a bit before she asked, quiet and unimposing, "you two were really close, weren't you?" The pilot nodded.

"Yeah, friends. He was a great guy, if ya took the time to get to know 'im." The pilot shrugged and turned to tinker with the Ultima-G's very many wires with his left hand, pulling out and lighting a cigarette with his right. "It'd be nice to see him again, but I got that feeling…" Cid pursed his lips and shrugged. "You know… that I won't be able to. Much as I'd hate to think of Vin as dead…"

The flower girl watched Cid intently for a moment, the older man busying himself with the Gummi weapon, and made a small noise in the back of her throat. "…I don't think he is, truthfully… so maybe you will, one of these days. Maybe once Sora seals the Keyhole…"

Cid nodded slowly. "Maybe… eh, I just miss 'im. Woulda been nice to have a drinking buddy 'round here for all those years, before y'all showed up."

Aerith raised an eyebrow. "Are you implying that Vincent was a drinker?"

"…he was a fuckin' _Turk_, remember? 'Course he was - when he was in the mood for it." The pilot chuckled, poking the wires with a screwdriver. "Hysterical drunk, too, once that whole Mako-enhanced tolerance shit was bypassed…"

"I see, you're getting at that silly 'every Turk is a lush' stereotype. This is all because of Reno and Rude, isn't it?" Aerith questioned, emerald eyes sparkling in amusement.

"Stereotype my ass. Vin told me once that bein' able to hold yer liquor was a prerequisite for the job."

"Oh?" the Cetra laughed, "but Tseng wasn't a drinker… or at least, I don't think he was."

Cid shrugged again. "Hey, I myself wouldn't put it past the guy. I know _I_ woulda been an alcoholic if _I_ had to baby-sit Rufus twenty-fuckin'-four hours a day…"

"You're terrible," Aerith giggled, sliding off of the workbench, careful not to snag her dress. She brushed herself off and grinned warmly at him before announcing, "well, I've taken up enough of your time… I should get going."

"You gonna go talk to Leon about the Sora thing?" the pilot asked, readjusting his falling flight goggles.

Aerith promptly nodded. "'Atta girl. Have 'im come by here later an' tell me what's up, alright?"

"Of course," Aerith promised.

As she made her way out of the Garage, Cid cleared his throat to get the flower girl's attention. When her sights were on him again, the pilot uttered, "was nice of you to reminisce about home with me, Aer… I been kinda missin' it through the past nine years… I appreciate it."

Aerith smiled lightly at Cid's uncharacteristically soft, honest voice and nodded. "It was my pleasure, Cid. If you ever want to talk again, just ask."

"…thanks, kid. I may just take you up on that."

-------

Disposing of the last Wizard with a final slash of the Conformer, the ninja flashed her typical 'victory' sign as the Heartless fell to the ground, its body dissipating into thin air. Dark eyes narrowing, Yuffie crept in to take a closer look at the item the Wizard left behind.

"What the hell's this…?" she quietly asked herself, one eyebrow lowered, bottom lip sticking out as the examined the yellow, bat-winged, stick-looking thing in her hand. She poked the red ball at the end and made a contemplative face, taking an experimental swing with it.

Upon hearing the typical clanking of belts and creak of leather behind her, the ninja girl turned. "Hey, Squa—_Leon_…," Yuffie quickly corrected herself, "what do you think this thing i—"

"It's a magician's staff," the brunette answered, interrupting her. "And you may as well leave it. It's worthless to you."

Yuffie pouted. That was the sixth time in the past hour that Leon had snapped at her, and that sort of response time after time was starting to get to her. Usually she just shrugged the attitude off, but today it was… _different_. Less of an agitated-at-Yuffie mood, and more of a fuck-it-all-I-don't-care-about-anyone-but-myself one, which was very rare for the brunette… no, he never _was_ the friendliest crab in the ocean, but Leon was being above and beyond cold, even for _him_.

Eyeing her partner keenly, Yuffie asked, "…what's up with you today? You haven't been acting like your 'cheery' self at all…"

The older man regarded her with a near-scowl, to which the ninja blinked, contemplating the merits of just dropping the matter entirely. But that behavior wasn't _normal_ for him, and she was _concerned_…

"…so, uhm… like, you wanna talk about it…?" she ventured tentatively, wincing as she waited for a response.

"How about you keep your mind on taking care of the Heartless," Leon suggested, cross. He shouldered the gunblade, free hand taking a place on his hip. "Our job won't get done on its own, Yuffie. Remember that."

"Y'know, you _really_ need to loosen up, Leon," she muttered, "seriously. You're gonna snap one of these days if all you do is _work_…"

"Look, I have other things to do," the gunblade wielder cut in shortly, running a hand through his hair. Yuffie frowned, furrowing her brows. "I don't have time for this."

Sure, Leon was really cute, but he was such a _prick_ sometimes…

"Oookay, Mister Pissy-Pants… my wish is your command, let me do whatever _you_ wanna do…," Yuffie grumbled, turning to shuffle herself off to Third. "And hey, while I'm at it, would you like me to fetch you your fuzzy pink slippers and your corncob pipe and gold-plated scepter, _too_, your Highness? Gods, jerk…"

Leon narrowed his eyes slightly, just a wee bit unruffled by the girl's snide comments. While Leon didn't _hate_ Yuffie, she really had a knack for pissing him off, whether she knew it or not - though in this case she knew, but that wasn't the point. True, she was a great fighter as well as a decent partner, but…

Of course, he supposed he somewhat deserved the teenage petulance. This time Yuffie hadn't even done anything to incite his anger. He wasn't even mad at her, anyway, even though _she_ didn't know that. But since Yuffie was the only one around him at the time, that meant she was bound to receive the brunt of his aggravation. Of course, had it been anyone else at that time, they'd get the same treatment, too… the ninja was just the most susceptible.

"Just… go see if Aerith needs any help with new refugees or something," the ex-SeeD ordered, dropping the gunblade from his shoulder to swing it experimentally. "I'll take care of the rest of the Heartless here."

"I can't," came the childish response.

"And why _not_?"

"Because I'm right here," Aerith answered for her, in a typically gently voice. "You're very disagreeable today, Leon…"

Leon grunted. "That seems to be the general consensus, but thanks for pointing it out."

"Would you like to talk about it?"

"Ugh, don't _even_ bother trying," Yuffie groaned, strapping her large shuriken onto her back. "Trust me, it'll get you nowhere, _fast_."

Aerith sighed. "That's too bad…"

"You know, we _do_ have work to do," scolded Leon. "The Heartless are _a lot_ stronger now, and also in larger numbers, there's been over ten injury reports today alone because for some reason people insist on walking around Second and Third by themselves, and we're still getting newcomers here, yet we hardly have enough room to house them all anymore. I think of _everything_ that's gone wrong today," the older man nearly growled, "my _personal_ problems should be the least of your concerns."

Yuffie rolled her eyes. "Ya see? I _told_ you so…"

Turning to the younger girl, Aerith lightly reprimanded, "you aren't helping things, Yuffie…"

The Wutaian put her hands on her hips and scoffed, but stayed quiet… though she had to force herself to do so. With a sigh, she took her leave, not even bothering to say goodbye - it wasn't like they wouldn't know where she was, anyway.

"But I wanted to talk to you about something, Leon - no, not about yourself," the flower girl began, stepping up to the older man. Taking Leon's nod as approval to go on, Aerith said, "Cid and I are both worried about Sora."

"…so?"

Eyebrows drawn together in distaste, the Cetra continued. "Well, we were wondering what you think we should do about it."

Leon gave the girl a look. He wasn't exactly sure what she wanted him to _do_… what was _he_ supposed to do to calm them if _they_ were the ones who were nervous? He didn't have control of Sora or of Sora's duties, just the same as he didn't have control of their own anxiety; all they could do was wait and see what happened, hoping for the best. That was all.

"…why yes, I _do_ have something in mind, thank you so much for asking, Leon," Aerith deadpanned, sighing as the other brunette simply went on looking. "I'd like us to go to Hollow Bastion, just to see… I know I must sound like a mother, but I… well, I don't expect you to understand…"

"Fine."

The girl's green eyes filled with confusion. That… had been much easier than she anticipated. What, with the Heartless flooding the town and all, and not to mention that if they all went to Hollow Bastion, that meant Kairi would be left all alone in Traverse Town… "…fine?"

"Whatever."

Aerith watched - now much more confused than before - as Leon left, gunblade in hand, to venture off to… "Oh!! You need to go see Cid!!"

-------

Leon stepped into the Gummi Garage, only to find the place eerily quiet - and seemingly void of everything Cid, with the exception of the scent of stale cigarette smoke and parts of Gummi blocks strewn haphazardly about the area. There wasn't even a swear to be heard, nor the sound of a maddened foot hitting the side of a wayward engine… it was very strange. And, frankly, the Garage looked abandoned.

"…Cid?"

__

"I'M OUT BACK!!!" blared a static-filled intercom from the side of the room, in a voice that was unmistakably Cid's.

Holding his ear as he walked by, Leon left his weapon on one of the workbenches and stepped over a variety of junk and general mess as he struggled his way through the cluttered Garage. Honestly, the place was like a mechanical pigsty…

In the back, the brunette found Cid in the doorway of the biggest interstellar ship in existence: the Gummi Highwind III.

The ship was large, and Cid's pride and joy - next to the Gummi Tiny Bronco, of course. The Highwind was very many blocks tall as well as wide, in a gleaming silver, packed with 'Heartless bastard-nuking' weaponry and more engines than one could possibly need. It was like the equivalent to a flying cruise liner, complete with sleeping quarters, a large conference room for strategic planning, storage room, kitchen - not that Cid could cook anything special - and even a glass-encased deck to enjoy the view. Leon couldn't even fathom how long the thing took to build, complete as it was.

But, the major drawback was that Cid didn't have a set crew for the thing - mainly because the pilot rarely ever used the large ship, but also because the older blonde didn't completely trust a whole lot of people enough to forfeit control of the machine… except Leon, who had ridden in it a total number of two times, and was allowed to drive it once.

…but once was enough. The thing was un-maneuverable when one had little experience driving it.

Cid climbed down the rope ladder with practiced steps and grinned proudly, appreciatively giving the Highwind a once-over. "She keeps getting more an' more beautiful the more you look at 'er, huh?"

"…do you think this ship can make it to Hollow Bastion?"

Without hiding a look with the very clear message 'you fuckin' numskull, of _course_ it can', Cid nodded slowly, making sure Leon got the full idea. "Yeah…"

"Will you drive us there?" the brunette asked, checking out the ship again. It was really an impressive piece of work… no wonder the older man was so proud of it.

Cid chuckled a bit and spat out the remainder of his cigarette onto the Gummi dock. "Lemme guess: Aerith, right?"

"Yeah, that was her suggestion." Leon shrugged, arms crossing of their own volition. "And I agreed. Not that I'm worried about Sora so much…"

"Then why…?" Cid asked. The brunette shrugged again.

"I just do… I did stay there for a long while." Leon's expression darkened as he added, "it'd be interesting to see what sort of changes the Heartless did to the place…"

Slowly, the older man nodded. "I gotcha. Well, I let the kid take the last Navi-Gummi I had stashed out… so far as warpin' through any _other_ holes to get there, we're fucked."

Leon made a face. "Is there any other way?"

"Of course, we can still get there on the Gummi Highwind; only thing is, we gotta take the scenic route."

"Alright, then how long do you figure that would take?"

"Well," Cid started, scratching the back of his head, "the kid opened a new path… not sure, but I guess we can _probably_ follow that, so… I'm gonna say somewhere around… shit, a day, day an' a half at most, maybe…? But don't quote me on that," he added, pointing a finger to drive the order home.

The ex-SeeD nodded contemplatively. He hoped they wouldn't be too late, and could make it to Hollow Bastion before the Keyhole was sealed, but he couldn't be too sure… what the hell would happen if Sora sealed it when they were still on their way there…?

"How much of a head start does Sora have on us right now?"

Cid shrugged. "Kid left no more than an hour ago, so he can't be _that_ fuckin' far ahead, figurin' his Gummi's pretty low-tech… better than most, but shit, it ain't no _Highwind_," the pilot beamed, patting the huge ship on the side.

Leon raked a hand through his hair and asked, "can we do it, then?"

Cid scratched the back of his head contemplatively. "I guess we can. Just that it's gonna be fuckin' hard… she's a pretty big Gummi, and with all the goddamn Heartless ships floatin' around out there… things're probably gonna plow us. They've _always_ been aggressive little fucks but with the whole Keyhole thing…"

The pilot paused to grunt in distaste. "Shit's gonna be tough to ride through… the Highwind's already got a few Thundara-G's hooked up to it, but I got some spare lasers in stock, so I could probably add 'em to the artillery, guessin' no one else 'round here needs that kind of high-powered weaponry _anyway_…"

The brunette watched with one eyebrow raised as Cid did a half-turn, smoking his cigarette as he continued speaking quietly to himself, "finished repairin' that piece of shit Flare-G a bit ago… that'll help alot… guess I gotta add a couple Shield2-G's, too… shit, should probably should stack on s'more Dispel-G's… maybe a Haste-G or two… fuck, don't got enough time to upgrade the cockpit…"

"…_Cid_."

Leon's bark jerked the pilot from his absent planning.

"Eh?" Cid cleared his throat, somewhat embarrassed about how his mind wandered so easily, and continued talking to _Leon_. "Er… right… yeah… at any rate, I guess we can do it. Just gotta slap on those extra Gummis and round up a crew or somethin' that can handle the guns, an' we should be good to go."

"Well… finding a crew shouldn't be a problem," Leon started, "don't tell her I said so, but Yuffie's a pretty good shot when it comes to firing Thunder-G's… and you already know I can help with handling the large lasers…"

The pilot nodded. "Alright then, that's three of us…"

"Strife and his _boyfriend_ may be able to take up a couple cannons, too," the ex-SeeD added, "and I suppose Aerith can control a small cannon or laser, if she wants… that should be enough, right? Five extra gunmen?"

"How the fuck should _I_ know, I haven't been out there lately…"

Grey-blue eyes rolled at the remark.

"But how do you know Cloud and Sephiroth'll come?" Cid asked, crossing his arms. "Doesn't make sense for them to want to in the first place…"

Mulling the question around in his head for a bit, the gunblade wielder made a face and shrugged. "The only reason I'd _prefer_ they both to go with us is because it would be easier than recruiting a couple of strangers who don't know how to fend for themselves. But if they don't want to, that's fine too. I personally don't care either way."

"Fair enough… so you really wanna do this, then?" When the brunette answered with a curt nod, Cid grinned and clapped the younger man hard on the shoulder.

"Alright then, pretty-boy, go tell everyone to get their shit together. In a couple hours, we're haulin' our nosy asses off to Hollow Bastion."

----------------------

__

A/N: …drama and filler, oh what a chapter… -.-; As for why there was more focus on the other characters than on Cloud and Seph… well, because I am currently in the process of punishing Sephiroth. God, I can't fucking believe how he decided to come out such an anti-Leon bitch when I ALREADY HAD THAT SITUATION SET SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE FREAKIN' STORY WTF SEPHIROTH THANKS A **LOT** YOU FUCKING **CRAZY ASS** YOU RUINED **EVERYTHING**!!!!

-.-**;;**

Of course, that's not to say Leon's much better towards Sephiroth, either… not that I blame him -.- Bah. They're **both** bitchy… but in this chapter especially, WTF… O.o Though, upon re-reading reviews, it seems that alot of you were really hoping for a lil Seph/Leon catfight **anyway**… evil people, you… but… I think Sephiroth's being more insane than anything… er… crap… O.o;;

Oh how I hate Cloud… why does he always get both (OMFG ANGSTY) Leon AND (OMFG CRAZY) Sephiroth!? It's not fair…!! Especially because those two completely obliterate my Seph/Leon/Cloud fantasies since THEY DON'T WANNA GET ALONG FOR ME!! .!!

::pushes Rinoa to the side and whistles innocently:: And there you have it.

God, this fic is getting long… XD And I don't know if I can end it where I intended to end it, either… I think that would incite an angry mob and that… yeah…

I REALLY HATE THIS NEW FORMATTING BULLSHIT. I had to give Zack new telepathy-talky-thingies… ARG.

I usually figure Sephiroth to be 5 years older than Cloud, even though Seph's probably a few years older than that. But it doesn't really matter anyway, it's not like Square's ever gonna tell us how old he really is so whatever, I can think what I want. XP

Now, to answer a few reviews (because I rarely ever do that since I'm a bitch, apparently):

****

Makai: Elixirs. Lots and lots of Elixirs. XD  
**Kuja-46: **LEON x YUFFIE CAN DIE OMFG I HATE THE PAIRING SO **BADLY**. So no need to worry XD  
**IPPAYAME: **::cackles:: You love the Leon, you know you do. (…but to be perfectly honest with you, I didn't like him all that much in FFVIII either… .; But he's so much cooler now…)  
**Blue Eyed Angel2: **::blush:: Thank you! That's such a major compliment… ::blush blush::

Sankyuu all for zee lovely reviews! I appreciate 'em, you guys, I really do. …I should say that more often… sorry. ;.; Keep them coming, they make me smile. Even if I think you're all insane for liking this story. XD


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